broomeman.com
Thursday, January 31, 2002
When LOTR is released on DVD it will be longer than the theatrical release. This director's cut will be over four hours in length.
"More than 400 Cambodians were left homeless when a roasted cat caught fire, sending flames shooting through a village of wooden shacks, police said Thursday."
The L.A. Times is reporting that the new Sean Penn film 'I Am Sam' is so bad people are leaving the theater in disgust.
The FCC has fined KNDD-FM $14,000 for a "lifting and pulling" discussion they had on the air last spring.
This morning I drank a cup of coffee, for the first time in over a month. I can already feel the heartburn. Ugh.
Update: Trillian 0.721 has been released, and it works with AIM! Here's a MeFi thread on the subject.
Wednesday, January 30, 2002
Windows 2000 Security Rollup Package - "The release of the 17MB downloadable Windows 2000 Security Rollup Package (SRP1) comes as Microsoft steps up its emphasis on security. In an e-mail to Microsoft's 47,000 employees earlier this month, Chairman Bill Gates called for putting security ahead of adding new features to products." (via ZDNet)
I've found the WORM_MYPARTY.A Virus in my Inbox at least twenty times in the last three days. There are usually multiple copies from the same uknown senders.
Professional Pigs - "Gluttony is not just a growing health problem. Now, it's a sport, complete with a sanctioning body and championship matches all over the world, where fans watch their champions devour hot dogs, pizza, pickles, matzo balls and chicken wings in mass quantities."
Leno: "The L.A. Lakers were at the White House meeting with President Bush. You know there is a strict dress code in the Oval Office, you have to wear a suit and tie. Shaq wasn't aware of this, he didn't have a coat. Luckily there was one left by Janet Reno, so he just threw that on instead."
Part IV: A Day to Speak of Anger and Grief - Fourth article in the Washington Post's '10 Days in September' series.
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
This Week's Prostitution Arrest Photos - Minnesota has done the public a favor and posted their prostitution arrest photos on their St. Paul website.
Leno: "Bush is going to ask Congress for another $50 billion for defense. That's just to protect the country from Mike Tyson."
Part III: Afghan Campaign's Blueprint Emerges - The third of eight articles in the '10 Days in September' series. It just keeps getting better.
Part II: "We Will Rally the World" - The second article in the '10 Days in September' series from the Washington Post. These articles are fascinating.
Sunday, January 27, 2002
The weather has been absolutely beautiful this weekend. It was 70 or 75 degrees today, with nothing but sun! Many thanks to the martini drinkers in Bogalusa for the furniture delivery on Saturday. We now have a comfortable sofa and an entertainment center. Mrs. Ann cooked a feast today at lunch. We got a chance to vsisit with Joe, Sue, Chris and Michael. Chris brought his portable LCD color video screen for his PSOne. Awesome!
Say the color, not the word. This is great party fun. Print it out and keep it on hand. (Probably works even better, after a drink or two.)
Blogger Pro - There are some cool new features, but for $35 per year, it doesn't compare with Greymatter, which is free.
The St. Louis Rams will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. Courtney and I will be at Derek and Misha's home for the game. My condolences to the Pittsburgh fans who read this site. Oh well, there's always next year.
Part I: America's Chaotic Road to War - The first article in the '10 Days in September' series. A look into Bush's global strategy that began to take shape in first frantic hours after the September 11th attack.
Saturday, January 26, 2002
Friday, January 25, 2002
Ebert liked The Count of Monte Cristo and A Walk to Remember. Both films opened today. Update: Courtney wants to see 'Count', so we'll probably check it out tonight.
Thursday, January 24, 2002
``John loves America. John did not do anything against America,'' Frank Lindh told reporters. ``He is innocent of these charges.''
Jay Leno: Tonight on NBC, Tom Brokaw hosted a program on the daily life of the president. It was called "The Real West Wing." Next week NBC is going to throw in a pretzel and call it "White House Fear Factor."
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Lawrence F. Kaplan: On Iraq, Mcgovernism Returns - "Last month a band of lawmakers led by John McCain drafted a letter to President Bush insisting that "Saddam Hussein must be removed from power." There was only one problem: With the exception of Joe Lieberman and McCain's friend Congressman Harold Ford, they couldn't find any Democrats willing to sign it."
There is no drink that compares with a Bombay Sapphire gin martini. Joel Sommer, you are correct. Note to Readers: For "How to Make the Perfect Martini" instructions, simply email me.
Hear ye, hear ye, I'd like to say something positive about Microsoft: Windows XP rocks. I've been running it now for a couple of months with great success, and it hasn't crashed even once. I've experienced no show-stopping driver issues and I've found no bugs to speak of. I've revamped my XP support page, so take a look if you're in need of some XP help and/or tweaks.
The American Taliban soldier, Johnny "Rat Boy" Walker Lindh has come marching home. I'm sure he'd just love to spend a few nights in Rikers Island prison in NYC, where he could experience, first-hand, the tolerance of a liberal U.S. city.
Mariah Gets the Boot - Overall, this hasn't been a good year for the diva. Her movie bombed, her album bombed and she had a breakdown of some sort. Fortunately, she does have real talent, so a comeback is certainly possible.
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Monday, January 21, 2002
"With the aid of a cochlear implant in his left ear, radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh announced Monday that he is able to hear his show again for the first time since he learned last year he was suffering from near total deafness."
Message to AT&T: You ripped me off. You were rude. I will never do business with you again. Please stop calling my home. Your calls are spam. You are #1 on the 'Companies That Suck' list that I'm creating.
"Lava flows from the erupting volcano in Goma ignited fuel at a petrol station this morning, killing up to 100 people, many of whom were said to have been siphoning fuel from the tanks." There is a moral to this story: Don't steal gas during a lava flow.
We saw Keeping the Faith this weekend. It's a comedy with a lot of heart. I really enjoyed it. There is one scene in an electronics store involving an Asian man named Don that I found particularly hilarious.
Understanding Islam - David Brooks of The Weekly Standard says "...the best academics can't decide which parts of Islam give rise to terror, let alone what the proper American response should be..."
Russell Crowe won the Golden Globe for Best Actor. I must admit that his performance was brilliant, even though I was bored with the subject matter. (List of Winners)
The Fast and the Furious - This movie is great fun if you're a guy and you have a pulse. Big engines, bigger egos and loud cars that move fast. Grab a beer, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Sunday, January 20, 2002
Saturday, January 19, 2002
"Fears were growing last night for more than 100,000 people unaccounted for after the eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano in eastern Congo, which has devastated the town of Goma and sent another 300,000 victims fleeing into neighbouring Rwanda."
Friday, January 18, 2002
Courtney and I saw 'A Beautiful Mind' this evening. I was bored stiff throughout the entire movie. She enjoyed it. Go figure. "Art cannot be measured, just appreciated." True, true.
"A river of molten rock poured from a volcano in Congo on Friday, a day after it erupted, killing dozens, swallowing buildings and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the town of Goma."
Thursday, January 17, 2002
Somalia 1993: A Look Back - A special report from the Washington Post about Operation Restore, which went tragically awry on October 3, 1993.
Fox is pulling the plug on 'The X-Files' in May. Arguably one of the best-written shows on TV, but a little too freaky for me. The episodes that I did see were anything but boring, and that's saying a lot for TV.
eBay Fees Going Up at Month's End - "Additionally, the company will begin charging for its popular "buy it now" feature and will change the way it calculates fees on Dutch auctions, where sellers offer multiple quantities of the same item in one auction."
Idiot Update - "Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has said Baghdad is ready for another full-scale attack by America but would defeat any new military campaign."
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Ambush in Mogadishu - Frontline discusses the failed military expedition in Somalia that left 18 American soldiers dead and 84 injured.
Fred Barnes give round one of the Enron 'scandal' to Bush. He further comments that Bush has two enemies: the Democrats and the press.
Does Saddam Have Nukes? - Insight into the matter from the former director of the Iraqi nuclear program.
"...an Australian company called Metal Storm says it has designed weapons that can fire at a rate of up to a million rounds per minute. The gun uses an array of dozens of chambers and fires electronically. American and Australian defense officials have taken notice. They are funding research into the new type of gun..."
Gary Condit is back in the news. The probe is heating up again. Looks like terror is finally off of the front page.
It looks like Kmart has finally gone belly-up. Wal-Mart is successfully killing ALL of the competition.
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Ashcroft Seeks Life for US Taliban - I would imagine that Johnny Boy is breathing a little easier right about now. Of course, his stay in prison will most likely be worse than death.
Lieberman Calls for Targeting of Hussein - "The Bush administration must target Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in its war against terrorism, Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Monday. It was one of a series of steps he said are needed to undermine a "theological iron curtain" being put up in the Muslim world by fanatics."
The Stench of Overreach - An editorial by Richard Starr, concerning the Democrats attacking Bush over Enron.
Monday, January 14, 2002
My HP now has 256 MB of RAM. Windows XP Home Edition loves to eat RAM! At less than $30, why not feed it? In the 'old days' RAM would usually cost about a dollar per meg. Things have changed.
Nicolas Cage's stolen car has been found. Missouri Water Patrol divers found the Porsche in 12 feet of water. The car had 100 miles on it, because it was a collector's item. Ouch.
How to Tell if It's a Cold or Flu - "The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can trigger cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three viruses--influenza A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness, but the flu can be prevented by the influenza vaccine--and is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA."
Many thanks to Derek and Misha for a fun weekend in Columbia. What did we do? "Get out of my bizz-ness..."
Regarding Dubya's choking/fainting episode, AA says: "I bet SNL will have a great skit on this one." Agreed.
"I made this machine 15 years ago." - So says a gentleman in Japan, referring to Segway. Interesting.
We rented Heartbreakers this weekend. It was funny, but about 25 minutes too long, in my opinion. If you're a fan of JLH, it's a must-see.
There is a 90-minute video that captured the horrors of the events of September 11 that is circulating among firemen in NYC. It may never be seen by the public.
I purchased the 'I Am Sam' soundtrack this weekend. It consists of seventeen Beatles songs remade by various artists. There are five good songs and two passable songs on the album. Overall, a disappointment.
Friday, January 11, 2002
We enjoyed the final episode of Survivor last night. I honestly didn't know if Kim was going to choose Lex or Ethan. Overall, I think Ethan deserved it. Big Tom was a riot. Does anyone else watch Survivor?
Judge Kills Microsoft Private Suit Settlement - No more 'Get Out of Jail for Free' cards for Uncle Bill?
Prediction: The Enron story will quickly lose steam and President Bush will be unscathed by both scandal talk and government investigations.
Taking it to the streets. The record companies just don't get it. First, they dropped the ball with Napster, now they're releasing copy-protected music CD's that won't play on Macintosh computers.
Bond is Back - This 20th installment in the series will be Pierce Brosnan's fourth Bond movie. The Bond girls for this movie include Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike.
Thursday, January 10, 2002
Gwen Stefani is engaged to Gavin Rossdale. She has one of the best voices (and navels) in the business.
Wednesday, January 09, 2002
Tuesday, January 08, 2002
"Count frequent flier Rep. John Dingell, ranking member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, among the victims of post-9-11 airline security measures. After his artificial hip set off a metal detector Saturday afternoon, the 75-year-old Michigan Democrat was ordered to pull down his pants at Reagan National Airport as he tried to board Northwest Airlines Flight 1417 to Detroit."
Monday, January 07, 2002
Microsoft Breaks Netscape Rule In New Security Flaw - I'm beginning to think that I should devote an entire page to the 'Swiss Cheese Update'. This is ridiculous. Another serious security flaw in Internet Explorer has been found.
Listened to Drudge on the radio last night. (I can tune him in on 820 AM, 840 AM and 103.9 FM.) He reported that Larry King had talks with Fox, but will remain at CNN with a pay raise.
We had a good time in LA this weekend. We also visited with Misha and Derek and got a tour of their new home.
Rare sports post: What's up with Favre giving away the record sack to Strahan? What a stupid way to break record. Am I wrong?
Saturday, January 05, 2002
Grammy Nominees - The complete list within a PDF file. (If you don't want to download the list, go here and convert it to HTML.)
Friday, January 04, 2002
Here's a plug for a great movie, set in MS, that you probably haven't seen: Cookie's Fortune. I suppose it was a very limited release. Although it has some big names in it, most people have never seen it. I really enjoyed it.
"A Long Island woman accidentally squeezed a drop of glue in her daughter's eye, thinking she was holding a tube of prescription eye drops, police said."
Friday Five:
1. You've just won a complete collection of movies starring one actor - what actor would you pick? Paul Newman
2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Fellowship of the Ring
3. What was the last video or DVD that you bought? The Sting
4. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get sick of? Ferris Bueller's Day Off
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? We're going to Louisiana to visit with friends and family.
"Firefighters placed the appendage in a container and transported it to awaiting medical personnel."
Vanessa Leggett is out of jail. She's the journalist who spent more than five months behind bars for refusing to reveal her sources.
"Israeli commandos raided a vessel in the Red Sea, capturing 50 tons of Iranian-made weapons being smuggled in by members of Yasser Arafat's security forces, the army chief said Friday."
Thursday, January 03, 2002
(Coming to you from the 'we don't care' section of today's news...) Nick Carter Arrested - You're probably wondering who Nick Carter is. I didn't know, myself. This reminds me of Dave Barry's comment regarding human cloning: "In 1995, scientists in Florida used a single strand of DNA from the Backstreet Boys to form 'N Sync. Or maybe it was the other way around."
Wednesday, January 02, 2002
AOL Instant Messenger has a gaping security hole. Trillian, anyone? I've been using the latest version for over a week, and I really like it. It's much better than before.
Unbelievable! Why must I keep repeating the definition of sacrilege? This really chaps my hide. First, there were the stupid "improvements" in the Special Editions, next there was Jar-Jar, and now this. Will it ever stop?