why do i find pictures of animals wearing these so funny? what's wrong with me?  

More infinite cats

infinitecats: Now has their own domain. Update your links, and then start at the back and move forward using previous link for the full cat-tunnel effect.

FactCheck.org

FactCheck.org - Annenberg Political Fact Check

Sweet site. Seemingly non-partisan truth serum applied to political ads. Me like.

What the hell?

BILL CLINTON:

Mr President, I had mixed feelings coming here today, and they were only confirmed by all those kind and generous things you said. It made me feel like I was a pickle stepping into history.

I mean, normally he's fairly cogent, how did he allow Bush to show him up? Did GW's civility take him that much off guard? Was he drugged by Secret Service before being allowed before the President? Was it not really Clinton at all?

So many questions.

OUTRAGE!!!!! Must. Dismiss. Rumsfeld. NOW!

MSNBC - Rumsfeld ordered prisoner held off the books

Isn't it about time this guy goes down? Heck, make it a two-fer and dismiss Ashcroft as well!


from MSNBC:

Pentagon officials tell NBC News that late last year, at the same time U.S. military police were allegedly abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered that one Iraqi prisoner be held "off the books" - hidden entirely from the International Red Cross and anyone else - in possible violation of international law.

Bruce Sterling on How American Science is Doomed if Bush Re-elected.

Wired 12.06: VIEW

Meanwhile, gaps will open between research establishments in the US and other countries, much like the one that now yawns between American and Korean stem-cell producers. US science will come to have a stodgy, old-fashioned, commissar-style inability to think and act freely. Yankee initiative and ingenuity will bow to bulging pie-in-the-sky superprojects like unproven antimissile systems, hot-air broadband initiatives, and swashbuckling moon shots.
Eventually the whole vast bubble will burst of its own fairy-tale unreality. Few will be held accountable. The quackeries will be purged, forgotten, hushed up. Except, that is, for the lasting effect on the health, morale, and self-esteem of the American people.

Talk to the good boy.

Yahoo! News - Can Dogs Speak? No, But They Understand, Study Says

His owners say "Rico, wo ist der (where is the) Banane (banana)," or "BigMac" or "Panda," and the dog searches, out of sight of the owner, until he finds the object.


Fischer and colleagues set up experiments to test the dog, and are satisfied that he understands the words.


"For instance, he can be instructed to put them into a box or to bring them to a certain person," they wrote.

Too cool.

Jon Stewart's ('84) Commencement Address at William & Mary

From Site: "Lets talk about the real world for a moment. We had been discussing it earlier, and I, I wanted to bring this up to you earlier about the real world, and this is I guess as good a time as any. I don't really know to put this, so I'll be blunt. We broke it.
Please don't be mad. I know we were supposed to bequeath to the next generation a world better than the one we were handed. So, sorry.
I don't know if you've been following the news lately, but it just kinda got away from us. Somewhere between the gold rush of easy internet profits and an arrogant sense of endless empire, we heard kind of a pinging noise, and uh, then the damn thing just died on us. So I apologize.
But here's the good news. You fix this thing, you're the next greatest generation, people. You do this'and I believe you can - you win this war on terror, and Tom Brokaw's kissing your ass from here to Tikrit, let me tell ya. And even if you don't, you're not gonna have much trouble surpassing my generation. If you end up getting your picture taken next to a naked guy pile of enemy prisoners and don't give the thumbs up you've outdid us. "

Oh to have been at that focus group.

"We need a name for this project: think people! Flying robots that will someday save the world. It has to be catchy - so people will like them and we can get funding. HAH! I've got it: MADMEN!!!!!"

USATODAY.com - Asteroid-eating robots considered for Earth's protection: While those methods promise some fantastic explosions - and maybe a blockbuster hit - a team of engineers are looking at a more patient approach. Their weapon: a swarm of nuclear-powered robots that could drill into an asteroid and hurl chunks of it into space with enough force to gradually push it into a non-Earth impacting course.
'We're aiming to examine the whole idea of these robots,' said Matthew Graham, design project manager for the study at SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI), an engineering consulting and concept analysis firm in Atlanta, Georgia.
SEI researchers have completed a preliminary study into the robots, called Modular Asteroid Deflection Mission Ejector Node (MADMEN) spacecraft, under a grant awarded by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) to come up with new techniques to defend the planet against pesky near-Earth objects (NEOs).
'Previous studies by NASA and NIAC focused on concepts that could detect asteroids or bump them using propulsion systems of nuclear weapons,' NIAC director Robert Cassanova told SPACE.com. '[MADMEN] was rather unique in that it would nibble away at the asteroid.'

I wish this were required reading for all voters.

I'd like to force this article down quite a few throats, for all the good it would do... Exerpt is a quote from Goering prior to his suicide.

The Independent Weekly: With trembling fingers: "'It is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.' "

Somebunny wants to be a big fat ZERO!!!!!!

Bushism of the Day By Jacob Weisberg: "Bushism of the Day
By Jacob Weisberg
Posted Tuesday, May 11, 2004, at 9:08 AM PT

'[B]y the way, we rank 10th amongst the industrialized world in broadband technology and its availability. That's not good enough for America. Tenth is 10 spots too low as far as I'm concerned.' -Minneapolis, Minn., April 26, 2004"

The Infinite Cat Project

This has gone on long enough. Hasn't it? A picture of a cat looking at a picture of a cat looking at... well:

Molly watching Torin watching Chloe watching Luna watching Frida watching Sammy watching Spot watching Brad Kitt & Cat Stevens watching Fumphy watching Ugly watching Clyde watching Cat1 watching Pixel watching KC watching Wookie watching Jackie watching Tiger watching Farrusko watching Skinny White Boy watching Peaker watching Brit watching Plien watching Eunheui watching Datsa watching Tasha watching Duma watching "99" watching Snowball watching Hawkeye watching Copper watching Fritz, watching Zoot, watching Abby, watching Frankie, watching Poozy, watching Frankie, watching Sammy, watching Frankie.

surprise

What a great night last night. I came back from our first decently promising Godspell rehearsal and not only was the lawn short (FINALLY!) but there were 3 new shirts in my closet for my wearing pleasure. I am well taken care of by the love of my life!

Now if only the new firewall would come in so we wouldn't have to fend off these darn DOS attacks by hand. It should be in today - hoowray!

Why can't anyone see..

what a damn $*%ing moronic unpleasant excuse for a human being we have as a President?!?!?!?!?!?!?


washingtonpost.com:

"'There's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free and self-govern. I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose skins aren't necessarily -- are a different color than white can self-govern.'"

I mean WHO SAYS THIS CRAP? People whose skins isn't white can self-frickin govern? First off, this ass genuinely feels that America's face is white! Then this ass thinks that no countries besides "his" can govern themselves. I HATE HATE HATE that we have this miserable idiot for a president.

That is all.

Priest Charged with Ritualistic Slaying of Nun

Yahoo! News - Priest Charged in Nun's Death

Wow - This must have been before Vatican 2... kinda sounds like that old-timey Latin-style Catholicism.

THE RIVERBOAT LIVES!!!!!!

S's ride isn't totalled after all, but it's going to cost more than half the car's worth to fix it. Still runs well and she's not in a new car shopping place right now so we're stickin with it. All hail buick.

how are we doing?

in gory details.

funny email sig I saw today

Information wants to be anthropomorphized

Are we getting to the bottom of this?

Yahoo! News - Bush, Cheney Coached for 9/11 Questioning

"At the administration's request, Thursday's unprecedented questioning of a president and vice president at the White House will not be recorded and a transcript will not be made.
Their testimony will not be under oath, but White House spokesman Scott McClellan said they 'will tell it exactly how it happened.' "

What the hell? No transcript, no recording, no oath. Doesn't that just say "Go ahead and question us, I'll just look stupid and daydream while Dick lies to your face!" Cuz that's what it says to me.

Molly for President

sacbee.com -- Molly Ivins -- Molly Ivins: Bush's strategy and the real world

I sure do dig what this lady says, and the way she says it.

When peeps need a rest, what do we do?

The Exorcist in 30 seconds with bunnies.

More Mel Gibson-Inspired Hate Crimes Against Imaginary Beings

I almost didn't believe this one. Great: for those 4-year-olds whose parents were too chicken-shit to drag them to the Jesus Christ Chain-saw Massacre, lets beat the crap out of the Easter Bunny. Next Stop: Uncle Sam will be impaled on the American Flag and We'll be gassing Santa and the Reindeer at next year's nativity.

Yahoo! News - Actors Whip Easter Bunny at Church Show

Tom D gives Bush the smack-down - eloquently.

Floor Statement of Sen. Daschle on the Abuse of Government Power

Tom D gives Bush the smack-down - eloquently.

Floor Statement of Sen. Daschle on the Abuse of Government Power

Yahoo! News - Twelve U.S. Marines Killed as Iraq Violence Worsens

I read this article and the one thing I get stuck on: anti-Iraqi forces? Now they may not be acting in the best interests of their country but since when does anti-American mean anti-Iraqi? I'm thinking we're still in that stage of the friends of my enemies game where the two labels are antonyms. No?

Yahoo! News - Twelve U.S. Marines Killed as Iraq Violence Worsens: "'Eleven Marines died while engaged with the anti-Iraqi forces for more than seven hours; one died from wounds suffered during the firefight,' the U.S. military said in a statement. "

Left Behind? I'll catch you up: the final Left Behind book is nigh... repent now!

Just wait til the movies start getting made. I wonder if Kofi Annan will sue for defamation.

Plastic: Sinners Repent! The End (Of The Left Behind Series) Is NIGH!: "Tens of thousands of foot soldiers dropped their weapons, grabbed their heads or their chests, fell to their knees, and writhed as they were invisibly sliced asunder. Their innards and entrails gushed to the desert floor, and as those around them turned to run, they too were slain, their blood pooling and rising in the unforgiving brightness of God.

Unsurprisingly, not all Christians are delighted with this. The president of New York's Union Theological Seminary has complained that the books 'misconstrue Revelation to mean that there are only two sides to every question, God's and the Devil's.'

"It's the same sort of vision of the world that is reflected in some of our recent presidential administrations, that there is the world of good and the world of evil, like 'the axis of evil' and 'the evil empire.' The enemies of America are the enemies of God. It is very dangerous, because it leads you to do things in the expectation that everyone who is against you is evil."

Wacky Fans

They may look like someone strapped two table-top fans onto a ceiling light, but these Neato Ceiling Fans are super duper cool! Me want. Me want.

The Political Compass

The Political Compass: "Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -1.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.72"

everybody should try this.

CNN.com - Police: Student changes abduction story - Apr 2, 2004

Full Article

Well I think its clear that was abducted by someone or something. Perhaps the invisible man? Herself? Mind-control? Vast right-wing conspiracy?

"A security camera recorded Seiler leaving her apartment early Saturday. She left her apartment door open, with her coat and purse inside, police said."

Hmmm. Abducted by a man who doesn't show up on security cameras. I saw that X-Files episode too.

Christopher Walken turns 61

Happy Birthday. I salute you sir. And those little blue fuckers too.

Grammarians unite.

You are a MASTER of the English language!


While your English is not exactly perfect,
you are still more grammatically correct than
just about every American. Still, there is
always room for improvement...


How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

The O'Franken Factor Debuts Today!

Tune into Air America Radio
at Noon today if you're able. A left leaning radio talk show... now that i'd like to hear.

RoboDance

We're a lot closer to Blade Runner than I had imagined. Robot Video Check out the Sony QRIO. Beautiful and cool! And cute enough to avoid the Uncanny Valley that would doom the popularity of a more human-looking robot.

Ahhhh... while reinstalling Windows XP and every decent piece of software one uses on a fresh hard drive is not for everyone the rewards are great. For all-around system speedup and bug crushing, nothing beats it. I'm on day one now and still finding things to install. But oh what a difference. As in many things, preparation is the key. Unless you don't want all those emails you've been saving for 7 years, you need to be very careful about backing up anything remotely important. I added a hard drive and installed XP on it (D:) so i still have C: bootable in case I forgot anything. The only snag I've hit so far is that MS Outlook picked up some weird stuff from the previous (c:) install. All my inbox rules were predefined and moved the mail to the c: mail store, not the new install. Ah well, live and learn.

-bill

Godless Commie Goes To Washington.

It seems there is finally a well-spoken intelligent atheist fighting for separation and they may be able to dismiss him on a technicality: he's not married to the child's mother. Rights of biological father set to surrender.


Atheist Presents Case for Taking God From Pledge: By LINDA GREENHOUSE
from NY Times
Published: March 25, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 24
Michael A. Newdow stood before the justices of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, pointed to one of the courtroom's two American flags and declared: 'I am an atheist. I don't believe in God.'
With passion and precision, he then proceeded to argue his own case for why the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in his daughter's public school classroom violates the Constitution as long as the pledge contains the words 'under God.'

Dr. Newdow, a nonpracticing lawyer who makes his living as an emergency room doctor, may not win his case. In fact, justices across the ideological spectrum appeared to be searching for reasons he should lose, either on jurisdictional grounds or on the merits. But no one who managed to get a seat in the courtroom is likely ever to forget his spell-binding performance.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist asked him what the vote in Congress had been 50 years ago when the phrase was inserted.
The vote was unanimous, Dr. Newdow said.
"Well, that doesn't sound divisive," the chief justice observed.
Dr. Newdow shot back, "That's only because no atheist can get elected to public office."
The courtroom audience broke into applause, an exceedingly rare event that left the chief justice temporarily nonplussed. He appeared to collect himself for a moment, and then sternly warned the audience that the courtroom would be cleared "if there's any more clapping."

Bob Edwards "removed" from Morning Edition.

NPR : A Letter from Bob Edwards
March 24, 2004

Dear Listener,

Over the course of the last 24 hours I have been overwhelmed by the support and good wishes from all of you. As I have repeatedly said, Morning Edition and public radio have the most remarkable audience. Your thoughts about the program and me are a testament to that.

I want to take this opportunity to assure you all that I will be here at NPR for the long haul. And while this transition will be difficult for me -- I am leaving a post that I have loved and have given my heart to -- I look forward to continuing to be a significant part of NPR and the amazing program lineup.

After April 30, I will become a senior correspondent for NPR, and while it is true that we are still working out the details of that position, I have no doubt that all my needs will be met and that I will continue to do journalism for this fine institution.

The past 25 years at the helm of Morning Edition have been the best of my life. But I am not saying goodbye. I hope you continue to listen and support your public radio station."

Yeah, concubines.

Proposed Bible-based marriage laws

Lawmakers who use the Bible to justify their opposition to gay marriage ought to be consistent. Here are some other Biblical rules to add to the Bill of Rights :

Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut 22:13-21)

In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your
town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with
him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men
young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of
course, this rule applies only if you are female. (Gen 19:31-36)

Link

Wish we knew this in February!

New Studies Question Value of Opening Arteries



An emerging understanding of how heart attacks occur indicates that increasingly popular aggressive treatments may be doing little or nothing.

"Some doctors still adhere to the old model. Others say that they know it no longer holds but that they sometimes end up opening blocked arteries anyway, even when patients have no symptoms."

New York Times

By GINA KOLATA
Published: March 21, 2004

U.S. Requests Exemptions to Ozone Pact So As To Benefit... wait for it... Industry!

"The United States is seeking to make more American farmers and industries exempt from an international ban on methyl bromide, a popular pesticide that damages Earth's protective ozone layer, Bush administration officials said yesterday.
Last year, the administration sought to exclude a variety of farmers and food producers from the ban, which takes effect next year under a treaty outlawing substances that harm the ozone layer. The exempt businesses would be allowed 21.9 million pounds of methyl bromide next year and 20.8 million pounds in 2006 in uses like fumigating stored grain and treating golf-course sod and strawberry fields."