Today's News of Today

Tuesday, May 31st

Not Listening to Paul Simon?

Some things make me feel very old. How sad that economics once again decides things. Yeah, it makes sense and the world's moved on, but ... Kodachrome?

I suppose this is all for the best, now that digital's the way to go. Still, I can never quite forget the famous saying (known only too well for anyone who's been involved in restoring systems and applications)

"Digital lasts forever, or five years, whichever comes first."

Other things, however, that are being phased out is probably a good thing. Twenty-five is a lot of million of trees.
RussNews on 05.31.05 @ 01:19 PM PDT [link]

Monday, May 30th

The Party's Over

It may have been a good idea. In spite of the Danes, the French killed the EU Constitution.
RussNews on 05.30.05 @ 11:50 AM PDT [link]

Sunday, May 29th

Not Really News

I have no way of knowing if this is real or not, but it's great.

I was thinking (when I could, of anything other than my tooth), of having a page of links to Flash art and videos, things like that. May still do it someday.
RussNews on 05.29.05 @ 02:25 PM PDT [link]

Saturday, May 28th

I May be a Criminal

See? This is just what people mean by "slippery slope." It starts with rocket launchers and machine guns, and the next you know, you can't even own a knife.

I can see their point, honestly, but I hadn't realized prescriptions and regulation of sharp objects went all the way back to the sixteenth century. I can't remember the last time I used the pointy end of any of my knives for anything, so I'd be willing to blunt them all. I could use sharp cleavers and scaled-down machetes for my slicing needs, but what's to be done to stop the other half of stabbings? Do lots of Brits carry hunting knives around or is it all sharpened knitting needles?

RussNews on 05.28.05 @ 07:32 PM PDT [link]

Thursday, May 26th

Neither Tomatoe nor Tomahto

We've lost jungles and Eskimos, Yugoslavia and Istanbul, now Pretoria.
RussNews on 05.26.05 @ 06:08 PM PDT [link]

Tuesday, May 24th

Freedom of Press

Conservatives are everywhere, that's not news. Neither are book bannings and suing for libel. Still, this write-up pretty conclusively demonstrates just exactly what this latest case is about.

it's not about the US, but not everything is.
RussNews on 05.24.05 @ 06:55 PM PDT [link]

Monday, May 23rd

More People with Time on Their Hands

The first one, of a UFO, I took to be an anomaly. Not because anyone seeing UFOs is necessarily suspect, but I passed it off as a (mislabeled) discovery that came up when someone was hoping to peer into someone's back yard or something.

Now, this one, of a train.

I have to admit it's pretty cool, and a way of seeing things I never thought of looking at before. Still, I'm not yet convinced I want to spend hours each day looking over Google images of the entire earth's surface.
RussNews on 05.23.05 @ 09:59 PM PDT [link]

Sunday, May 22nd

The Government at Work

This could be a regular feature, I realize, this official naming of days and weeks. In fact, in the midst of the Senate debate this week I saw them take a moment to mention a few more.

But I didn't hear about this one.

My problem is, I think it's too limited and meager a goal. Were I in charge, I'd replace "prevention" with "elimination."

And, from this website...
"The March of Dimes may have cured Polio, but a march of Quarters would have cured it 250% faster."

RussNews on 05.22.05 @ 10:12 AM PDT [link]

Saturday, May 21st

Gloomy Outlook

I have no idea how old this news is, but I just learned of it.

In short, we're doomed. Talk about ruining the environment.
RussNews on 05.21.05 @ 05:53 PM PDT [link]

Friday, May 20th

I Need to get Busy

At this rate I can't write fast enough to keep up with storage capacities.

Hell, I can't even surpass the transfer rate!
RussNews on 05.20.05 @ 11:16 AM PDT [link]

Thursday, May 19th

Second of Many, I Presume...

Two teams (serving where only one would do if you wish to save costs) have discovered a new monkey!

In what's becoming boring, repititious, and predictable, it's already endangered. After surviving for hundreds of thousands of years, I've little doubt mankind will find a way to wipe it out soon, perhaps because some part of it is an aphrodisiac.
RussNews on 05.19.05 @ 01:22 PM PDT [link]

Wednesday, May 18th

...Point of Order...

I'm watching C-SPAN because I have no life.

I never watch C-SPAN.

The Judicial Nominations are underway, and I'm on the edge of my seat. It may have already happened (I paused TiVo to enter this), but sometime soon I'm expecting some Republican Senator to make the all-important "Point of Order" and then have the proceedings interrupted by the Parliamentarian and subsequent rulings.

RussNews on 05.18.05 @ 07:17 AM PDT [link]

Monday, May 16th

Unfortunate Teaser

I have the category, but not the entry.

Early this morning, around six or so, I heard that after seven years of "limping along without one" the NFL once again has an official fast food sponsor. Some time in 1998 McDonald's lost that, and I have no idea why.

But ... I have no idea who won it today, not yet, anyway. For the time being we can only relax, content to know the NFL will once again be able to make some money.

So far they have an official soft drink (Pepsi), an official beer (Coors), a worldwide delivery service (FedEx), and (I think) Staples. I wonder if *I* could get some official sponsors...
RussNews on 05.16.05 @ 09:51 AM PDT [link]

Saturday, May 14th

Thought Thieves!

I'd mention Hitler Youth, but am aware of Godwin's Law.

I wonder why Microsoft is so interested in getting a legion or two of kids on their side? No, I don't encourage intellectual property theft, but I do have issues with copyright law (mostly, its duration). I just think this "competition" is far too self-serving.

This hoped-for emotional entreaty to the young demonstrates just about everything I hate about advertising methods. The poster, however, is one of the lamer things I've ever seen...who would want it?
RussNews on 05.14.05 @ 08:13 AM PDT [link]

Friday, May 13th

Paging Arthur Dent...

In an effort, perhaps, to get a better view from their lavish apartments residents of one of India's richer cities, Mumbai, have convinced their government to attack the nearby slums and shanty town with bulldozers. The area is so pricey that a corrugated steel shack costs three thousand dollars, but it still looks yucky for those flying in and is the first thing visitors and residents, alike, see upon deplaning.

Those who can prove residence (in a tent or shack) since the mid nineties are eligible for "low cost housing," which I doubt even they can afford.

...meanwhile, Mr Glazer continues to confuse football with the American variety, once described as mirroring our culture and consisting of "senseless violence interrupted by meetings."

RussNews on 05.13.05 @ 06:50 PM PDT [link]

Thursday, May 12th

Next to Blow

Of course, I have no idea what my northern neighbor's been up to, but a cousin is rumbling down south in Mexico.

I remember hearing of a psych study where a group of people were asked to write down their biggest problem. Then, all the troubles were shuffled and each person in the group, when asked to pick the one they felt they could most easily handle or felt the most comfortable with, chose their own.

Maybe we do the same with natural disasters. I know I'd hate to live in a place with tornadoes, but many others fear earthquakes enough to avoid my part of the world. Still, having flaming rocks hurled at me doesn't sound much like fun.

Yes, I could have written about Microsoft, but I don't like easy targets.

RussNews on 05.12.05 @ 09:37 PM PDT [link]

Tuesday, May 10th

Predicted American Impact: None

Adding to a list of items that can only produced in certain parts of the world, feta cheese can only come from Greece.

This makes so much sense that other nations are howling, but I suspect the good ol' USA will consider it as restricting as they do this one. We can do that because...well...because if we want to make something, we'll call it whatever we damn well please.

In happier news, if Yellowstone was colored like our National Security Level, I guess it would be red.
RussNews on 05.10.05 @ 10:08 AM PDT [link]

Monday, May 9th

Very Good Fake

Too bad it ain't true.

One of the better fakes I've ever seen. I was fooled and was about to pass it on when I saw it Saturday, but noticed the URL pointed to a college when I pasted it into the message. Now, it's all been explained.

RussNews on 05.09.05 @ 09:36 AM PDT [link]

Saturday, May 7th

The Ayes Have It

There's been a great deal of interest in Kansas lately, and not just because they have a city that shares my name.

Most of the Internet and the scientific community has been focusing on the Scopes Monkey 2 trial, the one that's again pitting those pesky evolutionists against those who follow a according to some, English (the language) was constructed through Intelligent Design sometime in the 16th Century. That's right: a "committee of unknown experts guided by a Supreme Grammarian" gave me my language.

If nothing else, it's a good analogy for the evolution debate, but as an anonymous source points out, "Have you looked at the lie / lay situation? It's a total disorganized mess. One thing I'm sure of: we're not looking at the product of a perfect mental organ created with the guidance of a higher grammatical power."

RussNews on 05.07.05 @ 11:46 AM PDT [link]

Friday, May 6th

More Bad News

If I were lazy I'd call this ironic. As it is, I'll file it under paradox.

Now that clean air's harmful, I suppose there's little hope for water (not this phony stuff that they hype at stores only interested in profit). Food, of any type, we already know about.
RussNews on 05.06.05 @ 02:30 PM PDT [link]

Thursday, May 5th

Cinco de Mayo, redux

In addition to being my ex-anniversary, according to these guys, "Cinco de Mayo is one of more than 365 festivals celebrated by people of Mexican descent."

Da-yum. That's a mess of festivals to remember each year. I'd need a calendar or something.

Also, for the brain dead, they suggest a way to make maracas using popsicle sticks and old film containers. I have a sad feeling no one has empty film canisters laying around any more. The snobs at World Press Photo don't allow some photos, such as this, from the Abu Gharib scandal, because they don't consider amateurs to be worthy, but I love some of their winning photos. I'm not sure how many are digital, but mention was made on the news that many of the "reputable, respected" photojournalists carry film cameras for their personal use. Because of the (questionable) demands of instant news, digital is often employed.

RussNews on 05.05.05 @ 10:39 AM PDT [link]

Wednesday, May 4th

Stories to Follow Up On

Is Greenpeace being unfairly harrassed?
RussNews on 05.04.05 @ 04:03 PM PDT [link]

Monday, May 2nd

Off by Fifty?

According to this article discussing the recently found treasure trove of ancient documents, the number of the Beast in Revelations isn't actually 666.

This could be the funniest thing so far this month!
RussNews on 05.02.05 @ 09:03 AM PDT [link]

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