Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Polio Forgotten? Not Quite


The Scotsman may think polio is forgottten and for many it is a distant memory but it's right up on the front burner in more than a few places. Indonesia and Africa are getting the worst of it these days but it's in India and elswhere and it is far from being a disease of the past. This picture comes from a screen grab of Google News. They have a new feature where you can enter a keyword and if it comes up in the news you get the headlines. Way better than a newspaper.

US suspected of keeping secret prisoners on warships - Sify.com

The use of prison ships would allow investigators to interrogate people secretly and in international waters out of the reach of US law, British security expert Francis Tusa said.

"This opens the door to very tough interrogations on key prisoners before it even has been revealed that they have been captured," said Tusa, an editor for the British magazine Jane's Intelligence Review.

Another stain on America's previously good reputation.
US suspected of keeping secret prisoners on warships - Sify.com

Apple Offers New Access to Podcasts - New York Times

"Radio is so constipated and so corporate and homogenized that it has been limiting the appearance of new voices, and podcasting will allow for this," said Randy Komisar, a partner at the venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers in Menlo Park, Calif.

New voices and new topics, this won't be just music!

Apple Offers New Access to Podcasts - New York Times

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Muslim Cultures

Fabulous photos at the Muslim Cultures blog. They appear to be highlights of Flickr submissions from various people.
Muslim Cultures

Monday, June 27, 2005

Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff

I remember them. Their creator Paul Winchell passed away last week.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Paul Winchell, a famed ventriloquist best remembered as the voice of the irrepressible Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh series, has died, an associate said on Sunday. He was 82.

Entertainment News Article | Reuters.com

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Gitmo Cookbook

Fine dining and torture, compassionate conservative style, mmm! From CIA trained chefs? Recipes include Electrode Juice Cocktail and Snarling Dog's Breakfast.
Telegraph | News | 'We wrote this cookbook to show how well these people are treated'

US acknowledges torture at Guantanamo; in Iraq, Afghanistan - UN - Forbes.com

From Forbes.com >> The acknowledgement was made in a report submitted to the UN Committee against Torture, said a member of the ten-person panel, speaking on on condition of anonymity. <<

US acknowledges torture at Guantanamo; in Iraq, Afghanistan - UN - Forbes.com

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Make Magazine


make
Originally uploaded by pt.
How-To for the modern age. Check out pt on Flickr.

Officials Say Drug Raids Found Clubs Were a Front - New York Times

"We're not talking about ill people who may be using marijuana," Mr. Ryan said. "We're talking about a criminal enterprise engaged in the widespread distribution of large amounts - millions of dollars, if you base it on historical evidence - of marijuana and other drugs, and money laundering their proceeds from these activities."

Agents from the D.E.A., the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies executed search warrants on Wednesday at the three medical marijuana clubs. Twenty-three residences, businesses and other growing locations in San Francisco were also searched.

Officials Say Drug Raids Found Clubs Were a Front - New York Times

Angry Cruise defends Scientology bar on drugs - Sunday Times - Times Online

"Last week it was widely reported that when he was preparing to shoot a movie, due to start filming later this year, he tried — unsuccessfully — to convert his potential co-star Scarlett Johansson to Scientology."
Good


Angry Cruise defends Scientology bar on drugs - Sunday Times - Times Online

Angry Cruise defends Scientology bar on drugs - Sunday Times - Times Online

"When Lauer said that many people had been helped by such drugs, Cruise dropped his famous smile and declared: “You are glib. You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do.” "
Is Tom Cruise fully up to date on Matt Lauer's knowledge of the history of psychiatry? I doubt it.
Angry Cruise defends Scientology bar on drugs - Sunday Times - Times Online

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Another Corporate Criminal Gets His

Steal a lot and they throw you in jail. They used to make you king for that but those were the bad old days.
From The Street.com
"A federal judge sentenced Adelphia founder John Rigas to 15 years in jail for looting the cable company and defrauding its investors."
"The sentences come just three days after a New York state jury found former Tyco (TYC:NYSE - news - research) CEO Dennis Kozlowski and former CFO Mark Swartz guilty of looting the conglomerate of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The current round of convictions and sentencing comes after a particularly corrupt era of business practices during the late '90s and the early part of this decade. ...."

John Rigas Gets 15 Years

Monday, June 20, 2005

Beyond Limits

"Beyond Limits" is a 30 minute weekly TV magazine program which is broadcast on local television stations and made available here on the web. ..."
It's showing locally here in Boston on WCVB - Channel 5 - on Saturday afternoons. I haven't seen it yet, Saturday afternoon is not a good TV viewing time for me but it's available for viewing on the web. It doesn't look like it can be downloaded. Look for a review before long.

Beyond Limits Home

Johnny Damon Uses BWP Baseball Bats

A small company in Pennsylvania turns out a high quality product.
Beaver County Times Allegheny Times - Sports - 06/13/2005 - Thanks to an Idiot and Mr. Nasty, BWP Bats in Brookville is becoming a Heavy Hitter

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Clinical Cases and Images - Blog: How Doctors Use Google

Doctors use Google and here's a post on some the features they find useful. Also, there's Flickr Daily Zeitgeist from Clinical Cases and Images. A great use for Flickr.
Clinical Cases and Images - Blog: How Doctors Use Google

Google Offering Chinese University Search?

From Search Engine Watch Blog
Google Offering Chinese University Search?

CRI CRI'S SHARE CAM CARES

There are some unique photos here.
CRI CRI'S SHARE CAM CARES

E-Mail Embarrasses 119 Failing Students - Yahoo! News

>>The school's [University of Kansas] Office of Student Financial Aid sent an e-mail to 119 students Monday notifying them that they were in jeopardy of having their aid revoked.

But the names of the students were included on the e-mail address list — meaning everyone who got the e-mail could see the names of all the other recipients.<<

E-Mail Embarrasses 119 Failing Students - Yahoo! News

Kozlowski Faces Up to 30 Years in Prison - Yahoo! News

>>On Friday, a jury convicted Kozlowski and Tyco's former finance chief, Mark H. Swartz, of looting nearly $600 million from the company to finance lifestyles of kingly opulence. They face up to 30 years in prison.<<
Looking forward to seeing this guy locked up. His case didn't draw a fraction of the attention that was given to the Martha Stewart case yet his alleged crimes were far far worse.

Kozlowski Faces Up to 30 Years in Prison - Yahoo! News

Crucified In Romania

He [Father Daniel] insisted that from the religious point of view the crucifixion of Maricica Irina Cornici, 23, was "entirely justified," but admitted he faced excommunication as well as prosecution, and was seeking a "good lawyer."

Prosecutors said Saturday they had charged the priest and four nuns with imprisonment leading to death, while religious authorities said he would be barred from celebrating liturgy until the investigation was completed. The monastery will be shut if they are found guilty, Father Daniel's superiors said.

Romanian priest unrepentant after crucifixion of nun - Yahoo! News

Lexington Herald-Leader | 06/19/2005 | Quick Hit | Credit Card Fraud

>>MasterCard International said the account information of more than 68,000 cardholders was especially at risk in a security breach that potentially involved data on millions of customers. Joshua Peirez, a MasterCard senior vice president, said the company had found evidence that a file with MasterCard cardholder data had been removed from a network belonging to Card-System Solutions, which processes credit-card transactions.<<

Lexington Herald-Leader | 06/19/2005 | Quick Hit | Credit Card Fraud

Saturday, June 18, 2005

No Audio Feeds Available at MLB.com

I was going to listen to the Cub's game. Technical glitch?? There's supposed to be a feed for every game.

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Laser Operated Keyboard Helps Two Kids In New Zealand

And it's coming to market. Stephen Hawking is interested and he's going to meet the kids, if he hasn't already.
Media Release

Friday, June 10, 2005

Boy Expelled For Having A Stupid Mother

The mother of an 11 year old lets him drive to school and he crashes when he gets there so he's expelled. Huh?? I could see legal trouble which they both have and maybe a suspension. But expulsion? Boy, 11, Crashes After Mom Lets Him Drive - Yahoo! News

Chips Found in Place of Woman's Ashes - Yahoo! News

>>HOUSTON - AP - Two daughters have sued a synagogue after they found a potato chip can in place of their mother's remains behind the locked, glass door of her niche in a mausoleum.

When the women visited Vivian Shulman Lieberman's niche in a Houston mausoleum a year ago, they found the cedar chest containing her ashes missing and a can of sour-cream-and-onion potato chips in its place.<<

This sounds like revenge or maybe a practical joke. Not at all funny of course. Chips Found in Place of Woman's Ashes - Yahoo! News

The Life and Music of Celia Cruz

From the National Museum of American History a site for Celia Cruz.
NMAH | �Az�car! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Quote Of The Month

There's a lot of talk about the Bible these days. Here in Massachusetts we just had a visit from some protesters who claimed to know the Bible real well and they were here to tell us that "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God for 9/11." Nice folks, I guess they didn't see the part about judge not lest ye be judged or any of that love thy neighbor stuff. Anyway, did I mention they had little kids with them at their rally. Suffer the little children to come unto me so I can teach them to be hate mongers. That's probably the guiding wisdom there. Well as far as I'm concerned George and Ira Gershwin had the right view of the Bible and so without much more rambling here's the quote of the month. It comes from Porgy And Bess. Ira Gershwin wrote the words.


It ain't necessarily so
It ain't necessarily so
The t'ings dat yo' li'ble
To read in de Bible,
It ain't necessarily so.


Lyrics to live by and a nice piece of music as well. Also, I don't do a quote of the century feature but if I did this would be on the short list for inclusion.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

ed'zZ Blog For Dylan


Bob Dylan blog with cool graphics and artwork.
ed'zZ Blog

This sounds crazy on several different levels

Bank of America gets personal - Jun. 1, 2005

U2 In Boston


Dscn9829
Originally uploaded by Candlemaker.
What a great show! Our seats were in Section 314 (wheelchair accessible), not too far away from the stage and not too close either. We would definitely see them again and most likely will if we can get tickets. Special thanks go to Regynald the usher who went out of his way to make sure I was comfortable. There's a few more pics in my Flickr pool if you want 'em. Follow this link or look for candlemaker on Flickr. U2 Pics

Most Americans Believe Alien Life is Possible, Study Shows - Yahoo! News

"About eight of 10 Americans believe it is likely that intelligent aliens on other planets are more advanced than humans, the poll found."


Is there any reason to believe that? I'm not sure there is. From my non expert view intelligent aliens are as likely to have bronze age technology or sticks as they are to have Hollywood style gleaming cities in the sky.
Most Americans Believe Alien Life is Possible, Study Shows - Yahoo! News