25 June 06 - 23:04Truth in News Reporting
Here is an example of the accuracy of the news that is being reported to us. The Washington Post writes, "Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that the plan ... resembles the thinking of many Democrats ... to begin a troop drawdown in December. That resolution was defeated on a largely party-line vote in the Senate on Thursday." (Emphasis mine.)
Without doing any more research one is led to believe that the vote in the senate showed a very partisan response.
To check the accuraccy of this I found there were two votes in the Senate that had to do with troop withdrawal. They had the following results:
Iraq troop withdrawals: Defeated, 39-60
Withdrawal deadline: Defeated, 13-86
There are 55 Senators that are Republican and 45 Senators that are Democrats. A vote along party lines would look like this
Defeated, 45-55
It would appear that the vote for an orderly withdrawal without a timetable was weakly partisan (not largely along party lines as reported) and the vote for a timetable was nothing near partisan. That is why you should not infer anything from the news you read. If there is opinion involved, the opinion is slanted. If you disagree after reading this, you too could be a news writer. Sign up now, no scruples required!
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24 June 06 - 21:30Confusion among Muslims
Headline: "Poll Shows Divide Between People in Western and Muslim Nations" Now there's some insightfulness from the Pew Research Center. In summary, this poll reveals that many in the West see Muslims as violent, fanatical, and lacking tolerance while Muslims (in the Middle East and Asia) view Westerners as violent and fanatical, but also selfish, immoral, and greedy.
It would appear that both sides have the other side figured out. The most interesting part of the poll result is in the fine print. Here is the really interesting part. Most middle east and asian Muslims do not believe that Arabs were responsible for the September 11th attacks in New York and Washington. In fact 56 percent of British Muslims do not believe Arabs carried out these attacks.
This would indicate that Muslims do not trust the western press. Although this tells us that, as a group, foreign Muslims have the American press figured out, unfortunately they missed what is real and what is not.
Oh, well. It is hard for Americans to pick the real from the bull in the American press, imagine how hard it must be for Muslims in foreign lands.
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23 June 06 - 23:23Save yourself in a Storm
I am tired of non-technical people being confused while reading technical articles. Independent On Line notes that according to the British Medical Journal "Lightning poses a threat to people who use cellphones out of doors during thunderstorms....[S]omeone standing up and using the phone may well offer the path of least resistance. Advice to the public from national safety authorities [on this subject] is either confused or non-existent, the doctors note...."
I had to agree that to the "non-technical mind" this article was a bit confusing so I did some more research. After reading several of these I found a much more general rule than the cellphone theory and a conclusive method for you to use during a thunderstorm to avoid dieing.
1) Lightning is electricity and so it takes the path of least resistance from air to ground or vice versa and concentrates on areas of high conductivity.
2) If people or animals have concentrations of metal on them when they are struck by lightning it is not good. Death may occur.
3) Without concentrations of conductors (metal, cellphones, and the like) touching your skin lightning is conducted over the skin rather than through the body (a process known as flashover)
Since you are wet in the rain, this concentration of conductors could be belt buckles, coins in the pocket, bra underwires, cellphones, necklaces, bracelets, watches, rivets on jeans, metal buttons, metal glasses and the like. Based on this epiphany, I would suggest that to avoid death due to lightning strike during a thunderstorm, discard all clothing and posessions and go naked.
Seems extreme, but so is death. I am tired of people being confused when reading technical articles. As you can see there is a simple "natural" approach to avoid dieing due to a lightning strike.
Remember, in a lightning storm, "Going bare gets you there."
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18 June 06 - 23:06No News is Good News
I have often heard that no news is good news. These items were in the news today. Are any of them really "news?"
Shuttle Launch to go ahead despite risk of 'Catastrophe'
Britney Spears Marriage on the Rocks
Actress Sues National Enquirer
Erotic Material Triggers Biggest Brain Response In Women
Schwimmer Wins Slander Suit
Angelina Jolie talks about her Fears During Birth
Will Tom and Katie ever get Married?
Loretta Lynn 'Died' in Surgery
Bill Clinton rakes in US$7.5m for Speeches
California man wins Senior Spelling Bee
Elementary Students take Summer Enrichment Courses
Angelina Jolie Unsure Pitt Is Shiloh's Dad
Private Citizen Clinton set for return to Ireland
Inside the Editor's Brain
Wisconsin Wins National Concrete Canoe Competition
Billboard Misspells Bee Contestant's Name
Ode To Tree-Hugging Daryl Hannah
Shiloh's First Gasp Scared Angelina
Angelina Jolie Tells Anderson Cooper How Shiloh Got Her Name
TOM CRUISE and KATIE HOLMES are already working on Baby No. 2!
Tom Cruise Tops Forbes 'Power List'
Kidman's big Countdown
Nicole Kidman Pregnant Before Her Wedding to Keith Urban?
Japanese Stocks Fall on Renewed US Interest Rate Concerns
Clinton Speculates on Wife in White House
China, India, Iran seek to Buy Ghana Cocoa Direct
Researchers Show How Brain Decodes Complex Smells
Nicole Kidman And Tom Cruise To Be At War Over Adopted Kids
Angelina Jolie Talks about her Fears During Birth
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18 June 06 - 11:57Stomp
I had some trouble with my video card. In the process I somehow managed to think there was another problem and did some things which caused the dreaded "CATASTROPHIC DRIVE FAILURE." I tried the usual stuff that I have to try and revive the partition, find data, etc. Finally I tried an online trial service which actually found the directory on the drive, but they wanted a "per file" fee to recover the data.
I realized that the data could be recovered and I bought (after going to at least 4 computer places including Best Buy, Fry's, CompUSA, and Microwhatever) iolo's "Search and Recover 3" which I ultimately found that I already owned with my "System Mechanic" software. It found individual files that had been deleted, but could not find the undeleted files or recover the partition.
Weep weep.
Then I tried the sample version of "Recover Lost Data" at www.stompsoft.com. To my amazement it found the data. It did not reconstruct it, but I could copy it out onto another drive. So for $39.95 plus sales tax I downloaded the real deal and saved my stuff!!
Happy happy.
I guess if your software gets stomped go to www.stompsoft.com. "Recover Lost Data" is my hero!
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15 June 06 - 21:32Airbus Suffers Setbacks
Its nice to see a good old American company doing well. Today I read that singapore Airlines has ordered 20 big 787 Dreamliners. It appears that their range is farther than the Airbus 380, it seems to carry about the same number of people, and is being made by Boeing. Boeing seems to always have it together when it comes to being on time.
I still don't understand the economics of the Airbus 380 with its myriad of fabrication and sub assembly points. It may be political or perhaps there is an advantage, but I don't understand the advantage of having your delivery schedule depend on a zillion places and factors.
I don't wish unwell for the French, I am just pleased to see Boeing get recognized for the reliable steady source of aircraft that it has been and continues to be.
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13 June 06 - 23:46F I O S
Today the new Verizon FIOS system was installed. It is forty billion times faster than the former DSL and sports a couple of nice boxes in the garage and on the outside of the house. The installer was very professional and knowledgeable. Even so, it still took about 4 hours to get the system installed.
Hats off to Verizon, however, for sending a trained professional who did a neat, workmanlike installation. I would say that this fellow was head and shoulders above the quality of the cable installers from the local Plano cable company. He was courteous enough to park in my drivway to allow others to pass in the alley while the cable guys hog the alley the entire time they work. Very very thoughtful and professional.
Well, I need to go and make a few more 5 and a half megabop downloads. Zoom, zoom.
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10 June 06 - 14:25Down to 215
After a period of not losing weight my weight went down to 215 this week. My first goal is to get under 200 pounds again. I might point out that I feel lighter..... Maybe it's because I am lighter. Pants are fitting better as well.
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07 June 06 - 22:23Google Does Spreadsheet
I like Google. At least right now. I have been irritated with Microsoft since Windows last gave me trouble so it warms my heart to see a new idea from Google that will eventually compete with the Microsoft concept.
Google has already introduced tons of toys and now has a word processor and a spreadsheet ready to be launched. The word processor is not yet accepting new users and the spreadsheet is sort of in demo mode, but you can take a tour of the spreadsheet on the Google site and if the trial link is still hot, you can try it out!!
Google Spreadsheet Tour
Google Spreadsheet Trial
Good Luck!
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07 June 06 - 12:46I'm Back
I was out of town for a week and busy once back. For your information I checked the site log. It took a zillion minutes to download the log. Spammers tryied to upload tons of gaming site information and online drug sales information.
It must be a good business to spam blogs. As a result I have turned off the ability to leave comments on archived files. Self defense I guess.
If anyone needs online drug and gambling contacts, send me an email and I'll send you the latest.
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