"The perky 22-year-old, who just missed taking home a million bucks by one vote in the show's finale last month, is preparing for the cameras again when she becomes the newest reporter for the KUTV, Ch. 2, morning news team."
How a War With Iraq Will Change the World - "No matter how smoothly (knock wood) any eventual military operation goes, a "regime change" in Iraq will have vast geopolitical and economic consequences. Some of them might be good, some not so good, and some of them could be horrible. But consequences there will be, for Iraq, for the region, and for the world. What is "surreal" is that for the most part, for now anyway, a lot of people in Washington talk about punching out Saddam the way they talk about, say, passing an education bill."
I feel that HyperSnap is the very best Windows screen capture application. You may now use Version 3, free of charge. You can download the program here, and you may get your free license here. (Your license info will be sent to you via email, almost immediately.) The free license is only valid for three weeks, but you can request another free license each time it expires. Enjoy!
"The battle for control of the Senate is beginning to look like a doozy. At least eight, and as many as 14 or 15, of the 34 Senate campaigns this year are seriously competitive, according to recent polls and party analysts. Given that the current Democratic majority consists of just one seat, that means plenty of chances to shake things up."
Good News: Courtney and I have moved into our new apartment. Bad News: I'm connecting at 28.8 with my modem.
"The Lebanon-based Hezbollah organization, one of the world's most formidable terrorist groups, is increasingly teaming up with al Qaeda on logistics and training for terrorist operations, according to U.S. and European intelligence officials and terrorism experts."
Wired.com: NPR Retreats, Link Stink Lingers, "The blogger community brought it to our attention that this (permission form) was sitting out there," she said, "so thanks to our friends in that group for that." Also, NPR realized that having people ask for permission "was not really in step with reality." Their new linking policy is here.
"It was supposed to be a home renovation. But when Transcona resident Ken Reimer ruptured a natural gas line while digging a hole for a chain-link fence yesterday, he spurred a massive explosion minutes later that levelled his house at 54 Sunway Ave."
Don't like Dell Support? Neither does this guy. (via Dave, the ex-smoker)
Love Leads to Death - I'm thinking that this article should probably be entitled Stupidity Leads to Death.
I suppose one of the signs that you're getting old, is that you have no understanding of the pop charts. Take a look at this. There is a little talent here, but the songs that I actually like are being pushed to the bottom by total trash. I realize that pop music has sucked since the 1970's, but this is ridiculous.
"Authorities investigating the theft of high-speed Internet cable service yesterday seized modems and other computer equipment from homes in Toledo and surrounding suburbs."
"In this town of 23,000, about 20 minutes from the state capital of Jackson, WorldCom and its former chairman and chief executive, Bernard J. Ebbers, are local institutions whose images have been tarnished by the latest big financial scandal."
Have you seen the Ann Coulter-Katie Couric catfight? Here is a sample. Read more about it at CyberAlert. (There is a link to the video of the full interview here.)
Federal Appeals Court Rules Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional (The 29-page opinion is here in PDF format.)
Maggie Berry: "I don’t like it when my seat is unexpectedly warm, it seems too intimate. On the bus, on the can, in the diner--I don’t want someone else’s heat on my bum." Agreed.
"President Bush on Wednesday called reports that WorldCom Inc. disguised $3.8 billion in assets outrageous and said the government "will fully investigate and hold people accountable." Bush said he feared the pending bankruptcy would hurt "not only shareholders but employees as well." He said the latest evidence of corporate irresponsibility has hurt the United States stock market. He said the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department would investigate."
Here's a funny one for you: MSnbc is reporting that Linux has failed as an operating system.
"An important element of Bush's adoption of regime change for the Palestinians is that it makes his Middle East policy consistent with his war on terrorism. The Bush doctrine holds that terrorists and those who harbor or support them are both guilty. Arafat has been implicated in terrorism, including the death of a American diplomat in Sudan, for more than three decades. He has resisted pleas to halt terrorism. As Bush said in his speech, "today Palestinian authorities are encouraging, not opposing terrorism." At best Arafat is a harborer of terrorists, at worst a terrorist himself. In either case, Bush decided, he's not a fit peace partner with Israel. Like peace with a Saddam-led Iraq, peace with an Arafat-led Palestine simply isn't possible." - Fred Barnes, The Weekly Standard
"The goal of VerisignOff is to help people understand that there are alternatives to Verisign/Network Solutions and that by patronizing these registrars, we help send an important message; consumers expect the companies that they patronize to treat them ethically and respectfully. We will not tolerate or reward companies who attemept to acquire or retain our business by deceit or obfuscation."
I can honestly say that this report is hogwash. The spankings that I received as a child taught me the difference between right and wrong. They taught me to honor, respect and obey my parents.
Massive Fraud Alleged at WorldCom - Is it just me, or does this company have some serious issues?
"Bush and his advisors know full well that the changes he demanded from the Palestinians won't happen, but what yesterday's speech means is that because of that, the US won't have to engage in futile peacemaking because it can blame the Palestinians for failing to satisfy American conditions for such peacemaking." - Steven Den Beste
A particular "journalist" in CA has written a rather childish article about blogs. In my opinion, it's a publicity stunt, designed to get a reaction from the blogosphere, and thus drive his article to the top of DayPop and Blogdex. Therefore, I will not mention his name and I will not link to the article.
Best Picture Winner, A Beautiful Mind, is out on DVD today. Admittedly, this film bored me at the theater. I kept checking my watch, and hoping that it would end. However, Russell Crowe's performance is nothing short of brilliant.
"Playing in 3,001 theaters, Minority Report chased down a stellar $11,888 average and became the ninth consecutive number one opening for a Tom Cruise starring vehicle."
"George Bush has a novel approach to the Middle East; he tells the truth. Yesterday's statement wasn't filled with diplomatic jargon. It didn't try to reconcile six different policies through artful fudging. Instead the statement has the ring of honest conviction." - David Brooks, The Weekly Standard
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - You can download the new trailer here.
Bibliomania - Free online literature. Here's one of my favorite short stories: Was it Heaven? or Hell?, by Mark Twain.
U.S. Military Ramps Up in Gulf - Pentagon boosts Mideast strength for possible Iraq war.
Local News: Nissan Bringing Altima Production to Miss. in 2004 - I can't wait to drive by the plant and see the hundreds of new Altimas.
"The FCC estimates that nationwide, 61 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds carry cell phones."
Gertz, on Iraq: "The buzz in the Army is that units may begin deploying in stages to the Persian Gulf this fall for possible military action against Iraq. There are already more than the normal contingent of Army soldiers in Kuwait. The Pentagon maintains the increased tempo has nothing to do with an invasion. Some military planners are advocating a slow, disguised buildup of land forces and aircraft so as not to spark a pre-emptive strike by Saddam Hussein. Planners fully expect Saddam to unleash all the weaponry at his disposal — including chemical and biological warheads — if he feels his regime and his power are at stake."
"Wicked anti-Semitism is back. The worst crackpot notions that circulate through the violent Middle East are also roaming around America, and if that wasn't bad enough, students are spreading the gibberish."
"The Episode II DVD will be a two-disc set and only a little info was given about what we'll see. It said to look for multiple commentaries my George Lucas and cast memebers, as well as deleted scenes and all sort of documentaries and goodies. You only need to put 3 bucks down rather than 5 to pre-order. It will be in November 26th as expected."
Jonathan Last sums up why Minority Report is so good. I basically agree with everything he says. He was reminded of L.A. Confidential, as I was.
"House payroll records show that Rep. Gary Condit significantly increased the salaries of three key staffers in the days following the revelation that he was romantically involved with Chandra Levy, a young Washington intern who went missing last year and recently was found dead in Rock Creek Park."
We saw Minority Report on Friday night. We both enjoyed it and would like to see it again. It's the best film I've seen in months. Go see it!
Square-shaped watermelons: $80 each! What the heck? I can't even make this stuff up.
More chickens coming home to roost. (via Drudge, as if he needs more hits.)
"When asked to identify prominent leaders in the Bush administration and elsewhere, students were more likely to identify Yasser Arafat correctly than any other major player in the war on terrorism, including important U.S. officials." (via Lileks)
"Scientists in England say they have invented a cell phone so small that it can be placed in a tooth by a dentist. Isn’t that amazing – I didn’t know England had dentists!" - Jay Leno, The Tonight Show
Simply put, the critics love Minority Report. Here is a sampling: Ebert gives it four stars, it has a composite score of 80 at MetaCritic, and there is only one negative review of it at Rotten Tomatoes. We're going to see it tonight with Steve and Beth. Full Disclosure: I like Speilberg, but he can make some real stinkers. A.I. and The Lost World were very disappointing to me. My favorite Speilberg film? Jaws. Second favorite? Saving Private Ryan.
Well, it's official. The U.S. will begin printing colorful currency. "Consistent with past design changes, the NexGen notes will remain the same size and use similar portraits and historical images to maintain an American appearance. The NexGen designs will include the introduction of subtle background colors. While color is not in itself a security feature, the use of color provides the opportunity to add additional features that could assist in deterring counterfeiting. The introduction of additional colors will also help consumers to identify the different denominations."
Here's a list of the Sweatiest Cities in America. I can't believe that New Orleans wasn't number one!
First-class postage stamps will cost 37 cents, as of June 30, 2002. (via BrainLog)
James Berardinelli really liked Minority Report. Here's a quote from his review: "Anyone who wants to think through the mysteries and paradoxes presented herein will discover a multi-course cinematic buffet that can keep the gray matter occupied for days to come." Giddy-Up! I can't wait.
"In an effort to speed deliveries to its customers, online DVD-rental company Netflix said it has 10 new distribution centers throughout the country up and running. The new centers are located in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Previously, all movies were shipped from Netflix's main distribution facility in San Jose, Calif." Great news! I think I'll give them a try!
"There will be rapture in Austin, Minnesota. In less than two weeks, the 6 billionth can of SPAM will roll off the assembly line, and there's nothing snobbish culinary purists can do to stop it."
"Columbia Pictures has made a deal to develop a biopic of the Hawaiian King Kamehameha as a starring vehicle for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The studio hopes the project will be a Polynesian Braveheart."
If your butt is too big, you may have to purchase two plane tickets the next time you travel with Southwest Airlines. Makes sense to me.
"Linking to or framing of any material on this site without the prior written consent of NPR is prohibited." Well then, here's my obligatory prohibited link. Here's another one, and another. I just can't stop. By the way, if you think their linking policy is silly, please send them an email with your kind words.
Oh, man. If you don't like pain, do not click on this link. Here's the accompanying quote: "I just came up a little short on the bag and hit the dirt part - where the bag and the dirt come together - and (the ankle) just rolled. Before I knew it, I heard a pop and that was it." UPDATE: Here's another photo.
Home Depot is declining to do business with the Feds. They don't like the red tape.
"Future generations will not believe it, but there was a moment when Pac-Man was as big as Star Wars."
Before Baghdad Burns - "The author of a new book on Iraq cautions that a U.S. invasion to get rid of Saddam Hussein could be even more dangerous than his weapons of mass destruction."
"The problem with a full-scale invasion is that you lose the element of surprise, which is often critical in pre-emption," a senior official said today. "So the president wants to try everything short of that, because he knows that if we have to mount an invasion force, Saddam will see it coming."
Kurtz: Who Was Watergate's Deep Throat? John Dean Nominates Four Candidates.
Have you seen the ad for the new movie starring Tom Daschle and Bruce Willis? (via Rand Simberg)
"The Ipsos-Reid study found that 81 percent of music downloaders reported that their CD purchasing either remained the same or increased. That backs up research from Jupiter Media Metrix that concluded that people using file-sharing networks were more likely to spend money on music."
Kottke: "I agree, Netscape 4 has to go. Please get it out of my sight. If Netscape 4 were a car, they would have recalled it years ago. But I'm not sure that Mozilla is any better."
"The world's largest Yoda will be built June 15 and 16 at the Legoland California theme park in Carlsbad."
Gore Searched Twice During Wisconsin Trip - He wasn't even wearing a beard.
Meg writes about weblogs, in what is perhaps the best article that I've read on the subject. She focuses on how the format of weblogs is what makes them unique. She also highlights one freedom that most bloggers enjoy: no editors.
Scooby Doo is getting horrible reviews across the board. The Bourne Identity, however, is receiving considerable praise.
"Evidence from within Elizabeth Smart's Salt Lake City home has led investigators to theorize the girl may have been abducted by a member of her extended family who staged it to look like the work of an outsider, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned."
"An economist says music piracy should be hurting the recording industry, but it isn't -- and he doesn't know why."
Go read this story and shake your head in disbelief. A high school student flunks English, but threatens to sue the school, so they let her graduate. The teacher stood firm, but the administration caved in to the pressure. (via MeFi) UPDATE: The Arizona State Bar Association is investigating the lawyer who wrote the threatening letter to the teacher.
UPDATE: The music companies don't get it, after all. Apparently, 'the Devil is in the details' again. The music will be made available in a proprietary format. Sorry, no sale. Try again. Next. (via Instapundit)
Giddy-Up! 18,000 firefighters from around the country have arrived in Denver to launch an assault against the fire. What a task!
Air Force Attack Attempt Discovered - "A month ago, U.S. security first stumbled upon what was left of a portable anti-aircraft missile after it had apparently been fired at the main U.S. operating hub in Saudi Arabia, the Prince Sultan Air Base. The missile tube was found just outside the fence line."
Two music companies are making a move in the right direction. Great news!
Bourbon, Straight - In Kentucky, A Few Men Distill 200 Years Of History
"According to the EPA, at least 123 plants keep amounts of chemicals that, if released, could harm more than a million people. For example, if a 90-ton railroad car filled with chlorine ruptured at the Atofina Chemicals Inc. plant outside Detroit it could endanger three million people. For the mathematically challenged, that's a thousand times the number of lives lost on September 11." - "Terrorist Roadmaps", by Michael Fumento
Ken Layne: "Your son might be a terrorist if...he watches the movie "Airplane" and wonders aloud why a guy named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in the cockpit yet didn't fly the jet into a building." Priceless.
Here is a moron update for you. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the truth is stranger than fiction.
"One of the world's busiest cities will shut down for two days, all in the name of show business. But don't look to Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo or London, instead focus your gaze on Sydney. The producers of The Matrix Reloaded plan to fly a helicopter below roof-tops across the east of the city and over Martin Place for the movie's dramatic final scene."
"The Russians worked with monkeypox virus, a close cousin to smallpox, in their bioweapons program and it is possible terrorists could use it in a biological attack against the United States, scientists and former United Nations weapons inspectors told United Press International."
The All-Bastard Athletic Club, "comprised of ballplayers possessed with monstrous élan, a flair for savagery on the playing field, or a ravening impact on the National Pastime."
"U.S. officials now admit they're not sure what American-born Abdullah al Muhajir's plans were when he returned to the U.S. last month. And any plot, including possibly exploding a radiation bomb in Washington D.C., was in the "initial planning stages." But given what he'd trained for in Afghanistan, they expected the worst."
"AXA Financial, a French insurance and financial services company, has purchased nearly 11 percent of Clinton-based WorldCom's shares during the past several weeks. In documents filed Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, AXA said it purchased 321.8 million shares of WorldCom, more than 10.9 percent of the company's outstanding shares. WorldCom's average price last month was about $1.65, making the AXA purchase worth $531 million."
"Peter Jackson's second installment of Lord of the Rings, called The Two Towers, isn't quite ready for public consumption. In fact, most of the cast members are heading back to New Zealand next week for more shooting — including some new scenes."
Jay Leno was hilarious last night. I was going to pick a single funny line for you, but I've decided send you to the transcript of his monologue.
"It's good to be home," Burnham said, with her daughter Mindy and other son Jeff by her side.
SteveBroome.com: Using Segmented Downloading to get the most out of your broadband connection.
"Comcast Corp. has taken an unprecedented step in Michigan to stop customers from stealing premium cable television: It's taking 16 of them to federal court. The cable provider is suing 16 Macomb County residents in U.S. District Court, seeking as much $170,000 from each for rigging illegal access to premium channels and pay-per-view movies. Nine of the accused are from Warren and seven are from Sterling Heights."
CNN interviews Paul McCartney. (Victorino Matus had something to say about Sir Paul, earlier.)
Getting a Lock On Broadband - How the FCC is paving the way for a few big companies to control everyone's high-speed Internet access.
Roger Ebert: "The Ya-Ya Sisterhood is rubber-stamped from the same mold that has produced an inexhaustible supply of fictional Southern belles who drink too much, talk too much, think about themselves too much, try too hard to be the most unforgettable character you've ever met, and are, in general, insufferable." Ouch.
"Spider-Man now stands as the fifth highest grossing movie ever, topping Jurassic Park's $357,067,947. It will top Batman's $359.5 million adjusted gross on Thursday to become the most popular comic book movie ever."
Here's a scathing review of Bad Company. Just the thought of Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins in the same film makes me cringe, actually.
"In my alternate universe, once I got her bag to the top of the stairs, I kicked the guy behind us in the throat, causing him to careen with lethal velocity into the man behind him. The rest of the passengers cheered me, and airport security gave me a free ride to my connecting gate on that little golf cart with the annoying horn, letting me honk it at will as we sped past the less heroic travelers." Go read Tony's entire post.
"As our conversation continued, Scoble and I concluded that there may not be any journalism today. It's all about compromise and under-the-table deals between the reporters and their employers. No disclosures or disclaimers. Total disrespect for the intelligence of the readers. Lots of nice people playing footsy with the people they're supposed to be watching and when they try to grab stuff that doesn't belong to them, they don't blow the whistle." - Dave Winer
"Amtrak's financial condition is so bad that the national passenger train system will have to shut down in July unless it gets a $200 million loan in the next three weeks, its new president said yesterday."
Grandma Beats Up Airport Security Guards - This should cheer you up.
Two new movies open tomorrow: Bad Company and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I'm mildy interested in seeing both films.
"Microsoft has come out against the schemes and dreams of the entertainment industry with a position essay criticizing any notion of the government's mandating technical standards for content protection as Hollywood wants."
Jonah Goldberg: "I suffer in silence. Why can't Arabs - and people who look like them?" - Flying While Arab
"The Justice Department this afternoon proposed a regulation requiring a new "special registration" of thousands of people visiting the United States from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Sudan. Notably, the new list excluded Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen, North Korea and Cuba."
Mozilla 1.0 has been officially released! You can download it here. Personally, I like IE better, but this my second choice, for sure.
"Seeking to discover whether big-city streets or bumpy country roads can keep mail carriers from their appointed rounds, the U.S. Postal Service said on Tuesday it is set to expand testing of the much-anticipated Segway Human Transporter scooter into six cities."
Don't miss this funny post by Tony. Check out his new design while you're there. Robyn did it!
"Did Trooper Evans get an autograph? “No, but I gave them mine,” he said." Priceless.
Wounded Soldier With Wired Jaw Prevented From Boarding Plane With Wire Clippers
"The CIA has created a new super secret paramilitary unit to target known terrorists and their leaders abroad, a US government official said. The new hit team will operate directly under the command of the agency's counter terrorism centre, the brain trust of the US-led war on terror that seeks to eradicate terrorist cells around the world." (via Drudge)
"Starting in July, music buyers will get a lot more than just a "parental advisory" on BMG Entertainment records that contain explicit lyrics. The major-label group, whose artists include Pink, Outkast and the Strokes, is planning the industry's first ratings system that offers specific printed warnings for explicit, violent or profane lyrics. BMG will also use the warnings in its print and television advertising."
Broomeman.com is one year old today. That's right, my first post was on June 4, 2001. Before I was married. Before my clothes started getting smaller. Before 9/11. Before Al Gore shaved his beard. What a year!
This story reminds me of what my mother told me when my parakeet died: "You're not getting another one. You get too attached to them, and when they die, it's too sad for you."
The news headline this morning is that Napster has filed for bankruptcy. Would someone please explain to me why this is news? Perhaps this was news TWO FREAKING YEARS AGO, but not today, surely.
Arafat Offers Cabinet Post to Hamas - "Yasser Arafat has offered Cabinet posts to Hamas and other militant groups involved in suicide attacks against Israelis as part of a government reshuffle he plans to announce in coming days, Palestinians said Sunday."
We're in Louisiana, enjoying boiled crawfish and Abita beer. I also want to mention that Abita's root beer is quite tasty.