Friday, October 31, 2003

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED / ***1/2 (Not rated): "Why was Chavez not our friend? It all comes down to oil, as it so often does these days. Venezuela is the fourth largest oil-producing nation in the world, and much of its oil comes to the United States. Its price has been guaranteed by the cooperation of the nation's ruling class. Chavez was elected primarily by the poor. He asked a simple question: Since the oil wells have always been nationalized and the oil belongs to the state, why do the profits flow directly to the richest, whitest 20 percent of the population, while being denied to the poorer, darker 80 percent? His plan was to distribute the profits equally among all Venezuelans."
abc7.com: Robert Blake Murder Case: "The key evidence against Caldwell was a written list that included such items as shovels, a sledge, duct tape, lye, pool acid and the notation: 'Get blank gun ready.' His attorneys had argued those were typical handyman items. "
die puny humans: "The best restaurants in any town are the ones that are open 24 hours. It doesn't matter if the restaurant is clean or attractive, if the food is good or even edible. What makes 24-hour places special is that whatever is going on inside them at any moment--eating, crashing from a night high and wild, a secret lovers' rendezvous, a drug deal, a traveler getting her bearings in a new town-- will continue to go on there until the place burns down or goes out of business.



These places sell time, not food. All 24-hour restaurants are social neutral zones, outside the normal boundaries of time and space, which exist for most of us in neatly packaged eight-hour segments: one for sleep, one for work and one for life. These diners are the alien bases in our midst. Area 51 with curly fries and a Coke."
When I wrote my comments, I had only skimmed through parts of the book: "Russo attempts to explain the violent backward motion of Kennedy's head and upper body with the jet-effect theory (p. 298). This theory says the right-frontal explosion that we see in the Zapruder film pushed Kennedy violently backward and to the left. This is most unlikely. Dr. Larry Sturdivan, a wound ballistics expert, testified to the HSCA that this right-frontal explosion would have produced little motion, and that what small amount of movement it might have generated would have pushed Kennedy straight to the left, not backward and to the left. Several other scholars have rejected the jet-effect theory, including two physicists. Proponents of the single-shooter scenario have long had trouble explaining why Kennedy's upper body moves violently backward if he was supposedly shot only from behind. Another theory offered to explain this apparent contradiction is that Kennedy's backward motion resulted from a neuromuscular reaction. This was the theory that Dr. Sturdivan offered to the HSCA as his explanation for Kennedy's rapid backward movement. But this theory is just as problematic and implausible as the jet-effect theory. I asked Dr. Robert Zacharko, a Canadian professor of neuroscience, about the neuromuscular-reaction theory. He said it was absurd and that those who advance it don't understand neuromuscular reactions or how the brain works. I've seen war films and execution films that show men being shot in the head. In those films (at least in all the ones I've seen) the victims always go limp immediately, and their heads move in the same direction as the bullet. The most logical explanation for Kennedy's fierce backward movement, assuming the existing Zapruder film is pristine, is that it was caused by a shot from the front. Dr. Michael Kurtz:"
When I wrote my comments, I had only skimmed through parts of the book: "Russo attempts to explain the violent backward motion of Kennedy's head and upper body with the jet-effect theory (p. 298). This theory says the right-frontal explosion that we see in the Zapruder film pushed Kennedy violently backward and to the left. This is most unlikely. Dr. Larry Sturdivan, a wound ballistics expert, testified to the HSCA that this right-frontal explosion would have produced little motion, and that what small amount of movement it might have generated would have pushed Kennedy straight to the left, not backward and to the left. Several other scholars have rejected the jet-effect theory, including two physicists. Proponents of the single-shooter scenario have long had trouble explaining why Kennedy's upper body moves violently backward if he was supposedly shot only from behind. Another theory offered to explain this apparent contradiction is that Kennedy's backward motion resulted from a neuromuscular reaction. This was the theory that Dr. Sturdivan offered to the HSCA as his explanation for Kennedy's rapid backward movement. But this theory is just as problematic and implausible as the jet-effect theory. I asked Dr. Robert Zacharko, a Canadian professor of neuroscience, about the neuromuscular-reaction theory. He said it was absurd and that those who advance it don't understand neuromuscular reactions or how the brain works. I've seen war films and execution films that show men being shot in the head. In those films (at least in all the ones I've seen) the victims always go limp immediately, and their heads move in the same direction as the bullet. The most logical explanation for Kennedy's fierce backward movement, assuming the existing Zapruder film is pristine, is that it was caused by a shot from the front. Dr. Michael Kurtz:"
Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Chinese Airgun Only Forum: "Also take off the sling hardware and the back butt of the stock before using the paint stripper."
The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the 21st Century :: Main Page: "during my last trip there, I met some new hires, and they saw themselves as a kind of software X-Men, fighting to save a world that hates and fears them"

Sunday, October 26, 2003

XS-B3-1 tuning: "RESULTS:
Before: 14.3 Premiers averaged 425 fps and 1-inch at 30 feet. Hobbies got 487 average (slightly better groups).
After (with a 7-inch stub) 14.3 Premiers average 457 with one inch groups. Hobbies got 509 average.
BUT, with RWS Meisterkugelns at 13.1 grains, I averaged 495.9 (3 shots, SD of 1.4)and got a 3-shot group of 0.45 inch (red-dot sight). I now have an accurate, quiet 7.1 foot pound springer that is only 18 inches long, 27 with the stock opened. Built like a tank, too.
"

Saturday, October 25, 2003

Google Search:: "In the April 1994 issue of 'The Airgun Letter,' we provided plans for making
a silent pellet trap. Basically, you stack two courses of bricks of Duct Seal
in a metal-backed wooden frame. Duct Seal is also known as 'thumb gum.' You
may have to check hardware/home supply stores to find it. You'll pay about
$1.75-$2.25 per pound. We bought 12 pounds for our silent pellet trap and
got a nice discount for buying in bulk.

Incidentally, our silent pellet trap design was only recommended for pellet
guns up to the 15 ft-lb level."
Google Search:: "In the April 1994 issue of 'The Airgun Letter,' we provided plans for making
a silent pellet trap. Basically, you stack two courses of bricks of Duct Seal
in a metal-backed wooden frame. Duct Seal is also known as 'thumb gum.' You
may have to check hardware/home supply stores to find it. You'll pay about
$1.75-$2.25 per pound. We bought 12 pounds for our silent pellet trap and
got a nice discount for buying in bulk.

Incidentally, our silent pellet trap design was only recommended for pellet
guns up to the 15 ft-lb level."
BakerWorld's Air Gun Fun for ALL: "Take an old stainless steel spoon, pound it flat with a hammer and anvil, bend the handle to form a loop, and use a piece of thick wire (like that used for dog runs) by bending and shaping it to hold the spoon. You may need to experiment with the length of the spoon handle for optimal spinning. Bending the wire in an M shape with the spoon in the middle will keep the spoon from sliding around on the wire.
AirMojo "

Friday, October 24, 2003

Apple's Latest 0.1 Adds a Lot: "In terms of pure productivity power, Panther's most important perk is a new anti-window-clutter feature called Exposé. When you press a certain keystroke (of your choosing), all windows in all programs visibly shrink and array themselves across the screen like non-overlapping tiles. You just click the one you want to bring it forward at full size. This visual method of plucking a window from a haystack is so brilliant and addictive, you'll wind up using it dozens of times a day. Exposé is the biggest graphical breakthrough that operating systems have achieved in years."

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Niagara Nutcase | Metafilter: "Grew up in the town next to Niagara Falls. My favourite story is the one about the kayaker from TN who thought he could build up enough speed to shoot out of the water's drag at the falls. He thought that he woud make it if he could land the kayak in such a way that the force of impact would be distributed along the reinforced hull. They found his arm."
New York Post Online Edition: news: "The thrill seeker, who took the leap Monday, faces a psychiatric exam and the prospect of a $10,000 fine."

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

JACK THE PELICAN PRESENTS | David Shapiro: "The trajectory of Shapiro's preoccupation with food can be traced to his lifelike heads cast in tofu, shown at Liebman Magnan in 1999. Parallel diaristic concerns are evident in such earlier works as Nickel Bags (Lavanderia Fundacio, Barcelona, 2000), an ongoing visual diary of small found objects."
No Media Kings

Monday, October 20, 2003

die puny humans:: "When they're not around, I put the TV on. Purely out of curiosity, you understand. Up here, we can snatch some forty thousand channels out of the air. Most of them, of course, are still showing CSI and LAW AND ORDER. There are twelve different channels showing LAW AND ORDER 24 hours a day. In some countries, Jerry Orbach has become a cargo-cult figure. They don't understand the language or much of the situations. They comprehend only that Jerry Orbach is immortal. They watch and divine from the show that he outlives the young gods who are selected to be his assistants. Criminals fall. DAs change. Assistants fade away. Jerry Orbach is forever. Jerry Orbach is, in fact, some kind of avenging God-King who will hunt and incarcerate Scum until the end of time."
Google Search: hacking deep freeze: "If you CAN boot to a:\ then you can delete persi0.sys and replace it
with your own copy containing a known password. From my experience,
the persi0.sys filez from the trial versions work to replace the one's
from regular installations. persi0.sys also runs in Ring 0 and cannot
be deleted while DeepFreeze is running. Not with a process killer, not
with DOS, not with Process Explorer. If you ever figure it out, post
it for all to see and congratulate you!"
Octave: Duplicators Microboards Orbit Ii 50-Disc, Autoloading Cd Duplicator 48x

Sunday, October 19, 2003

OregonLive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "The leaders we conservatives have trusted have taken advantage of our trust to line the pockets of the wealthy and powerful, and it's time we rose up and drove out these greedy liars. They've hijacked and distorted our belief system for their own gain, and in doing so are destroying our credibility."
TiVo time warp (kottke.org): "'No, no, don't answer it!' I yelled. 'It's your parents! They're calling from the future!'"
Doug Henning and the Giggling Guru; Notes of a Fringe-Watcher (Skeptical Inquirer / May 1995): "Amazingly, TMers are greatly entranced by lotus hopping. Last October a demonstration was held at the University of Toronto. Three Vedic 'flyers' giggled while they bounced on their bums for five minutes, looking (said one observer) like legless frogs. I was told by Charles Reynolds, who for many years designed Doug's stage illusions, that during one of Henning's TV rehearsals he periodically halted all activity so those present could meditate and send him powerful vibes while he tried vainly to float. He actually believed he might be able to demonstrate levitation on his forthcoming show!"

Saturday, October 18, 2003

Proposal Submission Page
Computers and Writing 2004: "(This year, for the first time, Computers and Writing is offering presenters the option of sending in a completed manuscript in advance of the conference; the manuscripts will then be published and sent to participants before they arrive.)"

Thursday, October 16, 2003

Plastic: Kill Bill : "Uma has NASTY looking toes. Couldnt they have used a foot stunt double?"
His name is Steve | Metafilter: "I'm a die-hard, genetic Red Sox Fan

That's OK. I believe you should have all the same rights as a normal human.
posted by jonmc at 5:17 PM MST on October 15
"
The Observer | Magazine | Getting over Google grief: "Living


Getting over Google grief

The web has made it easier than ever to find out what's happened to old friends. But how do you feel when you discover that they've died? Michele Kirsch goes sentimental surfing

Sunday October 12, 2003
The Observer

There is a little-explored downside to to the websites and search engines targeted at the pathologically nostalgic. What if you find out, through Friends Reunited or Google, that the person who was one of your very best buddies from 1978 to 1985 actually dropped dead, unbeknown to you, three years ago? Do you go through a form of cyber mourning, a sort of half-arsed process of bereavement whereby instead of experiencing the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance), you cut to the chase, get depressed for a while and then forget it?"
20 Great Google Secrets: "Extended Googling"

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

SecurityFocus HOME News: Guilty Plea in Kinko's Keystroke Caper: "For nearly two years ending last December, Jiang's makeshift surveillance net raked in over 450 online banking passwords and user names from hapless Kinko's customers, according to the plea. He would use victims' financial information to open new accounts under their names, and then siphon money from their legitimate accounts into the new, fraudulent ones.

According to court records, the caper began unraveling last October, when Jiang had the bad luck to use a stolen GoToMyPC account to remotely control a victim's home computer while the victim was sitting in front of it. The victim, unnamed in court filings, watched as the PC's cursor began moving of its own accord, riffling through files, opening a browser window, and then establishing an account with online money transfer site Neteller.com under the victim's name. The victim had logged into the machine through GoToMyPC from a Kinko's on Seventh Avenue a few days earlier.

GoToMyPC's access logs captured Jiang's IP address, and after a brief investigation, the U.S. Secret Service raided the apartment Jiang shared with his mother in Queens. They seized books on hacking, a laptop computer and four desktop machines from Jiang's bedroom. Under questioning, Jiang, admitted sniffing passwords and usernames from Kinko's machines and selling them over the Internet, according to a Secret Service affidavit filed in the case. "
University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Library /All Locations: "Computers and technical communication : pedagogical and programmatic perspectives / edited by Stuart A. Selber
Publ info Greenwich, Conn. : Ablex Pub. Corp., c1997
LOCATION CALL # STATUS
UNLV Book Stacks T10.5 .C593 1997 NOT CHCKD OUT
Foreword
Introduction 1
1 Hypertext Spheres of Influence in Technical Communication Instructional Contexts / Stuart A. Selber 17
2 Legal Realities and Ethical Hyperrealities: A Critical Approach Toward Cyberwriting / James E. Porter 45
3 Visual Literacy in the Computer Age: A Complex Perceptual Landscape / Lee Brasseur 75
4 Wild Technologies: Computer Use and Social Possibility / Johndan Johnson-Eilola 97
5 Teaching and Learning Communities: Locating Literacy, Agency, and Authority in a Digital Domain / Billie J. Wahlstrom 129
6 Distance Learning Via the World Wide Web: Information, Engagement, and Community / Ann Hill Duin, Ray Archee 149
7 Shaping Technologies: The Complexity of Electronic Collaborative Interaction / Rebecca E. Burnett, David Clark 171
8 Learning Up Close and at a Distance / Nancy Allen, Gregory A. Wickliff 201
9 Technologies and Tensions: Designing Online Environments for Teaching Technical Communication / Brad Mehlenbacher 219
10 Forces of Conservatism and Change in Computer-Supported Communication Facilities: Programmatic and Institutional Responses to Change / Richard J. Selfe, Cynthia L. Selfe"
How to use liposuction to repair Adobe Reader 6: "On my tests, I decided to use the 'lowest of the low-end' system: my Thinkpad 380ed with a Pentium I-MMX class CPU. Before the liposuction, Adobe Reader 6 took 41 seconds to load (without any PDF file), after the fat-removal procedure, it took 20 seconds. On high-end systems, however, the results are more dramatic: Kelly claims Adobe Reader 6 took over 20 seconds to load on a 1.8 Ghz. Pentium 4 system, and just under two seconds after the procedure."
Daisy.com » Daisy.com » Frequestly Asked Questions (F.A.Q.):: "Where do we send a gun for service?
Call our Customer Service Department at (800) 713-2479. Most models currently in production may be returned for repair or replacement with a similar model by Daisy. There will be a charge for out-of-warranty guns. Do not ship a gun without calling for details.

We may recommend that you send your out-of-warranty gun ot one of our qualified independant gunsmiths. Do not ship a gun without calling for details."

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Blue and Orange: "Technically I'm not an alumnus of Dartmouth College because I didn't actually graduate. But you wouldn't know that, given that I somehow have an alumni email account, and they harass me for money all the time. But despite my lack of love for the Dartmouth administration, who are apathetic, selfish people, and the deans, who are weak-willed cowards, I do love the place itself and especially my fraternity, Sigma Nu"
ESL Articles: "Bardovi-Harlig, Kathleen, and Beverly S. Hartford. 'Congruence in Native and Nonnative Conversations: Status Balance in the Academic Advising Session.'
Bardovi-Harlig, Kathleen, and Beverly S. Hartford. 'The Language of Comembership.'
Berry, David W. 'Silences in the Writing Center: Avoiding Babble for ESL Students.'
Cogie, Jane, Kim Strain and Sharon Lorinskas.'Avoiding the Proofreading Trap: The Value of the Error Correction Process.'
Ferris, Dana R. 'Rhetorical Strategies in Student Persuasive Writing: Differences between Native and Non-Native English Speakers.'
Ferris, Dana R. 'Student Reactions to Teacher Response in Multiple-Draft Composition Classrooms.'
Gumperz, J. J. 'Interethnic Communication.'
Hartford, Beverly S., and Kathleen Bardovi-Harlig. 'Closing the Conversation: Evidence from the Academic Advising Session.'
He, Tung-hsien (Tony). 'Genres and Strategies: How Skilled and Unskilled ESL Writers Compose.'
Janopoulos, Michael. 'University Faculty Tolerance of NS and NNS Writing Errors: A Comparison.'
Kaplan, Robert B. 'Contrastive Rhetoric and the Teaching of Composition.'
Kaplan, Robert B. 'Cultural Thought Patterns in Inter- Cultural Communication.'
Kroll, Barry, and John C. Schafer. 'Error-Analysis and the Teaching of Composition.'
Leki, Ilona. 'Coping Strategies of ESL Students in Writing Tasks Across the Curriculum.'
Masiello, Lea. 'Diversity in Language and Writing.'
Matalene, Carolyn. 'Contrastive Rhetoric: An American Writing Teacher in China.'
Matsuda, Paul Kei. 'Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor.'
Powers, Judith K. 'Rethinking Writing Center Conferencing Strategies for the ESL Writer.' "

Monday, October 13, 2003

Google Search:: "Hi I am new to air gun shooing, (I have used shot guns for many years) Please can someone answer a few questions. 1/ Can I target shoot in my back garden? there are no houses, just a barn and fields behind my garden fence. (I live in the UK) 2/ Is there a web site where I can down load a target to print off for practice shooting? 3/ Should I use steel or thick plywood (or something else) behind the target? Cheers"
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Martial arts expert kills two raiders: "The butchery, worthy of a Quentin Tarantino film, began shortly before midnight on Friday when the four men knocked at the apartment of a Chinese hairdresser in the centre of Empoli.
The hairdresser, her assistant and 'the doctor', who operated from the same premises, were reportedly overpowered and tied up before the group, all thought to be in their 20s and 30s, ransacked the apartment.
Disappointed by their meagre booty, the attackers allegedly threatened to rape the two women unless they told them where the rest of their money was hidden.
At this point the doctor managed to free himself, seize a knife from one of the aggressors and deliver a series of lethal stab wounds.
Investigators found the body of one man, who had been stabbed in the heart, sprawled on the staircase and another man bleeding to death in the street from a wound to his leg. A third man is recovering in hospital from a punctured lung.
The doctor was found crouching in the entrance to the building with cuts to his shoulder, face and hands.
Investigators are trying to determine whether he inflicted the injuries while defending himself inside the apartment, or hunted down the burglars after they had fled. "
The Rock Salt - forumcation

Massive slimey conspiracies!
New Scientist: "Following its success with Operation Flashpoint, Codemasters is also using Fade with a new snooker game. Copies play normally for a while, but after a predetermined number of potshots, gravity is progressively turned off so the balls start behaving oddly and end up floating over the table."

Sunday, October 12, 2003

Esquire:Feature Story:70th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: The Greatest Stories Ever Told: "The rest was agony. At the meeting that followed, consensus was impossible. A clear half dozen or so pieces did emerge, though, that seemed to possess the best combination of literary style and exacting reportage, timely urgency and enduring relevance, indelible impact on journalism and the world at large. Each of them could easily be declared, without fear of overstatement, the best Esquire story ever published. These were:"
Air Arms 410E Air Rifles reviews: "I bought a 410E last year from Pomona Steve. He talked me into the power mod and 4 spare magazines - that way I can figure out when my air is out after 50 shots in .22. I've been shooting this gun everyday ever since it arrived and have left all my other hobbies high and dry. I only shoot maybe 200-300 rounds on some days but when the starlings are out I can shoot 1000-1500 rounds in one afternoon without breaking a sweat. I put up quite a suet feed station and sit on my balcony all day long and drop starlings from a rest - 30-70 yards in my backyard. I haven't had a single issue with my 410E or even a worn oring (which I know is comming soon cause I've got about 8000-9000 rounds through my gun) since I got it and I think its the greatest value going!! Great design!!"

Friday, October 10, 2003

Rush Limbaugh Checks Into Rehab | Metafilter: "'What this says to me,' he told his listeners that day, 'is that too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we're not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.'"

Rush Limbaugh on drug abuse.
EServer TC Library: Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing

Nice bib. of single sourcing articles.

Thursday, October 09, 2003

Lifetime Achivement Award: "It was natural for Dr. Beeman to draw on his decades of experience as a technical writer and science professor to start what amounted to an educational writing campaign. Editors always need articles and illustrations, so he started writing articles about adult airguns, providing ready-made color photographs for gun magazine covers, preparing the big Airgun Digest book, stimulating gun writers to write about adult airguns, and producing Beeman's own national airgun newsletters and a catalog. The Beeman 'catalog' intentionally was big and technical; really an educational introduction and guide. At that time, a simple catalog of these special airguns would not have meant much. Most of the readers literally would not have understood the products."
Airgun Silencers: "Because of the past indifference of most law enforcement activity to airguns, many airgunners tend to think of themselves and their guns as invisible. You never know when your airgun may be subject to very rigid examination. What will happen when focus is placed on your silencer-equipped, 'deadly force' airgun when it is found in your car after an accident or during an unexpected roadblock? An actual example: We have a very WASP neighbor who was strolling, post 9/11, down our very remote country road with his wife, and his Beeman R1 air rifle. Evidently in response to a hysterical 'man with a gun' call from one of the very few passing motorists, he suddenly was facing a sheriff's helicopter and roadblocks in each direction by four patrol cars and a bullhorn order to 'lay down your weapon and spread your arms and legs on the ground'. It so happened that his wife was a trauma and stress psychologist for that Sheriff's Department. She smoothed the situation over so that he managed to get his gun back, IF he would return it to his home immediately. Do you think that a silencer on his 'deadly weapon' would have enhanced his situation?"

Wednesday, October 08, 2003

Kairosnews | A Weblog for Discussing Rhetoric, Technology and Pedagogy: "We don't hear much about the 'electric light revolution' anymore, but that doesn't mean we've all returned to candles."
Top 10 Software Titles Every Home PC Needs?
mysqld ended Can't get mysql running: "Marc Liyanage's 'Cleanup Instructions for old MySQL versions' fixed the trouble. He's got a little shell script that deletes all the old MySQL files that might mess things up. "

Tuesday, October 07, 2003

Find Toys, Video Games, Collectibles, Software and More at KBtoys.com: "Plaintiff alleges that Defendants implemented a pricing scheme that utilizes two different prices which are placed in near proximity of one another on price tags, on shelf tags, on in-store signs and in retail and online advertisements. One price, a comparative or 'reference' price, is printed in black ink and then crossed out in red ink. A lower, second price, which the consumer must pay to purchase the product, is displayed in simulated handwritten red ink. Plaintiff alleges that the comparative or 'reference' price for the product is not the prevailing market price for the product and that little or no actual sales were ever consummated or expected at this price. Rather, Plaintiff alleges that it is a fictitious amount used to make the actual purchase price for the product appear as a bargain and as a reduction from the comparative price. Plaintiff contends that Defendants' alleged conduct violates the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act ('Consumer Fraud Act') and the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act ('Uniform Act'), as well as similar consumer protection statutes in other states, and constitutes unjust enrichment. Plaintiff is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, an award of attorneys' fees and expenses for bringing the Action and a permanent injunction to prevent Defendants from continuing to use the alleged wrongful pricing scheme.

"
The Salt Lake Tribune -- Two conference goers arrested in run-ins: "Josh Peters, who describes himself as agnostic, said he spent the weekend in front of the conference center with friends Adam Welling, Sean Johnsen and Ryan Roylance because he doesn't like the street preachers insulting Mormons.
'It's just plain disrespectful,' he said. 'So I came out to protest them by making fun of them. That's pretty much my plan.'
'Amen to that,' said Welling, who carried a 'What Would Jesus Protest?' sign.
They tried to drown out street preachers' shouts of 'You people are following the false religion' with 'I'm louder so I must be right.' "
The Salt Lake Tribune -- Two conference goers arrested in run-ins: " Devin Allen was protesting against the LDS faith with about a half dozen other street preachers. He had been sneezing into the garments, wearing them around his neck and placing them on his buttocks while the conference crowd watched.
Mormons consider the garments sacred.
'I was talking to the Mormon missionaries, trying to educate them, and then a man grabbed my arm and then he grabbed [the garment],' Allen said . 'I wasn't going to try to hit him back because I am a man of God.'"

Monday, October 06, 2003

The New Yorker: Online Only: "TO: Malcolm Gladwell
FROM: James Surowiecki

Did the New Economy ever exist? Asked that way, the question practically demands a negative response. (I think it's the 'ever' that makes it sound so improbable, like 'Did aliens ever visit Earth to help build the pyramids?') But I'll resist the temptation. I think that the New Economy not only existed but continues to exist, even in the midst of the current downturn."
New York Daily News - Home - 'Don't kill cat' - Roy: "Montecore is known to his handlers as one of the most cooperative animals. But Friday night, he wouldn't walk in the right direction, so Horn whacked him five times on the cheek with his microphone.

The tiger apparently didn't like it - and bit Horn's arm and lunged for his neck.

'Horn looked like a rag doll in the tiger's mouth,' said audience member Kirk Baser of Pennsylvania."

Sunday, October 05, 2003

The Rise of ``Worse is Better'': "The Rise of ``Worse is Better''"
3D17.org: "People often talk to communities, but how do communities talk back? 3D17.org aims to answer that question by allowing a large number of people to collaboratively create some text, be it a letter, fax, or email. Have you ever thought what kind of letter the combined intelligence of 1,000 people might produce to support your opinion? 3D17 will answer that question.

1. Create a new document by clicking on New in the menu to the left
2. Choose a short title for the document (this will appear in its web address), a proper title, and some initial text.
3. Once you have created the story you will be able to refer other people to it.
4. Refer others in your group to this URL where they can view the document you just created.
5. Let them make amendments which they can then vote on to determine which make it into the document"
Adjusting the Daystate trigger: "WARNING!!! ROUNDING OFF THE EDGES OF ANY PART OF THE SEAR OR SEAR LEVER, MAY CAUSE THE TRIGGER NOT TO ENGAGE!!!! These part will then have to be replaced, and they are not cheap. I strongly recommend that you try the moly, and then try adjusting the sear engagement, before trying to polish, or stone the sear or sear lever."

Saturday, October 04, 2003

Google Search: golf shifter cassette trick: "Q: How can I improve shift effort/meshing of my gears? First gear feels like
there is something blocking it?
A: First check out the linkage adjustments, regrease where needed, and older
cars, possibly replace the old linkages/bushings. A special spacer tool is
needed for one of the adjustments (A1 & A2) which happens to be exactly the
same size as the skinny side of an audio cassette. Other special tools may
be needed.

The end of the shift lever has a ball on it that fits into a cup.
The cup wears and allows the ball to ride lower and lower. Pretty soon,
the ball, with shifter attatched, is riding so low that you don't need
to push down to bypass the reverse lock out.
All you need to do is replace the ball and cup. While you're in there,
replace theshifter bushings for the feedthrough.
See the Bentley manual for an excellent description.
BTW, you'll most likely have to drop the exhaust to get at the parts.
I have done this operation several times on various models, and can
honestly say that it can be done in about 2 hours or less if you
have a torch to remove the old exhaust clamps.

Also check out whether the motor/transmission mounts are ok, misalignment
will cause shifting problems as will a dragging clutch.
If your shifting effort is hard/stiff on cold days & grinds in 1st & 2nd,
but easier once warmed up you may want to change to a synthetic
transmission fluid (see performance FAQ).

Also see the G60_Xmission_Mods, faq.vw.perf, Solid_Shifter for adding a
counter weigh"
FARK.com: Comments Thingee (673267): "We used to do crazy stuff like this back when I was a kid. Only diff. is we didn't use scuba gear.

Cliff Jumping, Bridge jumping, Light house jumping, Jumping off roof of moving car on bridge into water, etc. This was back in the late 70's early 80's when a jackass was simply a jackass.

We were caving once along a bluff and I fell 30 feet through a narrow hole and landed in 3 ft of water.

Today I wear saftey googles even when vaccuming."

Friday, October 03, 2003

Enabling MySQL (Unix on OS X): "Configuration File
The MySQL server is in /usr/share/mysql. Inside are four configuration files: my-huge.cnf, my-large.cnf, my-medium.cnf, and my-small.cnf. Look at them and they will tell you which one is appropriate for your server, based mostly on how much RAM you have. For example, if you have 1 GB of RAM, use my-huge.cnf.
The configuration files all say that they need to be in /etc/mf.cnf. I don’t know if this is true or a typo; all other references I’ve seen, and the way I have always done it before, is to put the configuration file in /etc/my.cnf, and that works here. From the command line, type:
sudo cp /usr/share/mysql/my-huge.cnf /etc/my.cnf"

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

Wired News: Rappers in Disharmony on P2P: "'As an artist representing an 80-year period of black musicianship, I never felt that my copyrights were protected anyway,' Chuck D said. 'I've been spending most of my career ducking lawyers, accountants and business executives who have basically been more blasphemous than file sharers and P2P. I trust the consumer more than I trust the people who have been at the helm of these companies.
'The record industry is hypocritical and the domination has to be shared. P2P to me means 'power to the people,'' Chuck D said. 'And let's get this to a balance, and that's what we're talking about.' "
The White House, Congress and the CIA (washingtonpost.com): "Because of the huge reduction in the tax rates of the rich, the middle class taxpayers get stuck with more of the bulk of the 87 billion dollar bill from this bogus war, and lots of that money will go right into the pockets of those who bankrolled the Republican's political campaigns."

New passing lane to improve safety near Lehi :: The Daily Herald :: Your town. Your neighbors. Your newspaper.: "SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Cars crept past the Four Corners development Tuesday as workers in bright, orange vests placed concrete barriers on the shoulder of State Road 73.
The two-lane road that serves as the main thoroughfare between Lehi and Cedar Valley could be more congested than usual for the next few months as Utah Department of Transportation adds a one-mile long westbound passing lane between the junction of Redwood Road and the gravel pit two miles to the west.
But UDOT officials hope once the construction is done, the road will be safer to travel, said Geoffrey Dupaix, UDOT spokesperson.
Also included in the project will be about a one-mile turning lane along S.R. 73 between 800 West and Redwood Road. The total cost of the project will be about $800,000, Dupaix said.
Construction will be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and will continue through the middle of November.
Part of the problem with traffic in the area has included large trucks, many times carrying loads of gravel, traveling up the about five percent-grade hill with no way to let other cars pass, Dupaix said.
'The purpose of a passing lane is to allow the slower moving vehicles to move to the right so the remaining traffic can pass. It's meant to improve the safety of the roadway,' he said.
With an asphalt plant and several gravel pits in the area, along with a large number of trucks carrying gravel and construction material for development of subdivisions and businesses in the city, the number of trucks on the road can be dangerous without a way for cars to pass, said Saratoga Springs Mayor Timothy Parker.
'Trucks are heavy and will not be able to"
The Surprising Benefits of Being Unemployed: "I actually thought – and this is really silly when you consider that I've been working in the FEH for nigh on to a thousand years and so should know better – that companies feel the same sense of obligation and duty toward their employees that they insist their employees should feel toward them. If you contribute to your company's success and help it to advance its interests and financial health, often making sacrifices of your own time to do so, then your company will reciprocate by making sacrifices in bad times to take care of you by not depriving you of your paycheck and benefits. That's the way I thought it worked.
Where in the world did I get that idea? Now I finally understand – and I'm so much the better man and citizen for the understanding – that the true, indeed the only, obligation any company's top management has is to its Board of Directors and major shareholders. And of course to the continued employment of its top managers. My appreciation for the wonderfulness of the FEH can only be deepened by this knowledge, even if I am now forced to gaze upon that wonderfulness from a cold and comfortless place outside the warmth and safety of its shelter. "
local6.com - News - Woman Gets $100,000 After Being Locked In Storage Unit: "On Nov. 7, 2001, while on a security check, the facility's manager found Hudson's storage unit unlocked and partially open, and locked it, Mantiply said.
Two months later, on Jan. 9, 2002, a customer using a nearby unit heard sounds coming from unit 611. It was Hudson, who apparently had survived on juice and canned foods, but lost 65 pounds while in the unit.
Dr. William Asher, testifying for Hudson, said he studied Hudson's case after her time in the hospital.
Her condition when discovered in the unit, Asher said, was of 'advanced starvation, unusual to find in medical circumstances in America today.'
Hudson was vague about why she was in the storage unit so late on Nov. 7, and denied she heard the metal door close. Parkway's attorney, Burt Taylor, suggested she was sleeping and, furthermore, that she had been living in the unit. She denied Taylor's supposition. "