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Sunday, December 30, 2007

RIAA on the Warpath Again

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been fighting a losing battle against the illegal duplication, downloading, and sharing of music. But that hasn't stopped them from wreaking havoc with people's lives.

Apparently bored with the usual routine of sending threatening letters to college students, the RIAA is now trying a new intimidation tactic. The Washington Post reports:
    Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.

    The industry's lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" of copyrighted recordings.

    "I couldn't believe it when I read that," says Ray Beckerman, a New York lawyer who represents six clients who have been sued by the RIAA. "The basic principle in the law is that you have to distribute actual physical copies to be guilty of violating copyright. But recently, the industry has been going around saying that even a personal copy on your computer is a violation."
So, if you legally purchase and download a song through iTunes and then copy that song to your iPod, could you find yourself slapped with a lawsuit for copyright infringement? That's something think about the next time you're rocking out to Hannah Montana on your morning jog.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Bringing Anglophelia to the Masses


Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II now has her own YouTube site! According to this story on cbsnews.com:
Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II keeps up with new ways of communicating with people and was hoping to reach a wider, and younger, audience through the popular video-sharing Web site.

The palace began posting archive and recent footage of the queen and other royals on the official Royal Channel on YouTube on Sunday, with plans to add new clips regularly.

The queen will use the site to send out her annual televised Christmas message, a tradition she began 50 years ago.

Hey--what a coincidence--our friends at The Onion News Network have also done a story on the venerable British figurehead-of-state:


Queen Elizabeth II Will Leave Behind Long Legacy Of Waving

Friday, December 21, 2007

Smile! You're Suing Candid Camera!

You won't see anything like this post-9/11:
    "Okay, where's the candid camera?" Philip Zelnick demanded on June 15, 2001, when an airport security official in Bullhead City, Ariz., instructed him to climb atop an authentic-looking, but phony, X-ray scanner machine.

    It seemed fishy, but Zelnick, 35, complied with the request of the "security official" -- actually show host Peter Funt. By the time the stunt was done, however, Zelnick appeared in no mood to "smile!", as the show's guests are often entreated to do. Instead, he sued.

    In a suit filed against Funt, "Candid Camera," the PAX television network, the airport and the Mojave Country Airport Authority, Zelnick claimed he incurred bruises and bleeding after becoming stuck in the faux scanner. Though identical in appearance to scanners reserved for carry-on luggage, the fake scanner did not emit real rays.
That was over six years ago, but it's being shown now on Court TV. Here's how the case turned out:
    The Los Angeles jury, comprised of five men and seven women, found "Candid Camera" and Peter Funt liable for negligence, false imprisonment and intentional misrepresentation, but cleared them of claims of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

    The jury awarded Zenlick a total of $300,000 in punitive damages, with Peter Funt and the show ordered to pay $150,000 each.

    Unhappy with the verdict, Peter Funt and "Candid Camera" plan to seek a new trial. In a statement on CandidCamera.com, Funt is quoted as saying, "We expressed our regret over Mr. Zelnick's injury within moments of the incident and offered compensation. Clearly the jury was not impressed with claims relating to his injury... I firmly believe that this award will be dramatically reduced on appeal."

Thursday, December 20, 2007

The Gospel According to Hooters

A Bible study at Hooters?:
    We'll furnish the hot wings. You just show up, says the Rev. Tom Sharron.

    Beginning Thursday, Destin United Methodist Church will offer "Hot Wings Bible Study" at the Hooter's Restaurant in Destin, an establishment known across the country for its scantily clad waitresses and hot wings.

    "It's a study for people who haven't studied the Bible a whole lot. It will be beginner's style," said Sharron, the assistant pastor at the Methodist church one of bringing the gospel Destin's largest, to the marketplace.

    Knowledge of a similar program at a Hooter's franchise in Montgomery inspired Senior Pastor Ken Taylor to offer the service to Destin.

    "The idea is to take the gospel to the marketplace, where the people are," Taylor said.
Why not? I'm sure that's what Jesus would do.

Now, if the church could just get men to pass out gospel tracts while they're getting lap dances at the local strip club...

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

I'm expecting my pink slip any day now.

I must have missed the memo. It has apparently become a fire-able offense to post a "Dilbert" cartoon in your workplace. Time to find something else to decorate my computer monitor. A man was recently fired from Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington, IA for posting this "Dilbert" cartoon on an office bulletin board, after the managers informed the employees that the casino was closing and layoffs were impending:

You can read the complete story here.

I have little sympathy for the management in this situation. One, they were clearly humorless and thin-skinned. Two, they were about to lay everybody off anyway, so what's the point of creating the opportunity for a legal dispute over a termination? Three, it was a casino. And these managers were apparently incapable of keeping a casino in business? They really must be drunken lemurs! I think this guy was fired for telling the truth!

Monday, December 17, 2007

A Force to Be Reckoned With



(HT: LRC Blog; image by Steven R. Terpe)

You WILL vote for Ron Paul!

I received this e-mail tonight:
    December 17, 2007

    What a day! I am humbled and inspired, grateful and thrilled for this vast outpouring of support.

    On just one day, in honor of the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the new American revolutionaries brought in $6.04 million, another one-day record. The average donation was $102; we had 58,407 individual contributors, of whom an astounding 24,915 were first-time donors. And it was an entirely voluntary, self-organized, decentralized, independent effort on the internet. Must be the "spammers" I keep hearing about!

    The establishment is baffled and worried, and well they should be. They keep asking me who runs our internet fundraising and controls our volunteers. To these top-down central planners, a spontaneous order like our movement is science-fiction. But you and I know it's real: as real as the American people's yearning for freedom, peace, and prosperity, as real as all the men and women who have sacrificed for our ideals, in the past and today.

    And how neat to see celebrations all across the world, with Tea Parties from France to New Zealand. This is how we can spread the ideals of our country, through voluntary emulation, not bombs and bribes. Of course, there were hundreds in America.

    As I dropped in on a cheering, laughing crowd of about 600 near my home in Freeport, Texas, I noted that they call us "angry." Well, we are the happiest, most optimistic "angry" movement ever, and the most diverse. What unites us is a love of liberty, and a determination to fix what is wrong with our country, from the Fed to the IRS, from warfare to welfare. But otherwise we are a big tent.

    Said the local newspaper: "The elderly sat with teens barely old enough to vote. The faces were black, Hispanic, Asian and white. There was no fear in their voices as they spoke boldly with each other about the way the country should be. Held close like a deeply held secret, Paul has brought them out of the disconnect they feel between what they know to be true and where the country has been led."

    Thanks also to the 500 or so who braved the blizzard in Boston to go to Faneuil Hall. My son Rand told me what a great time he had with you.

    A few mornings ago on LewRockwell.com, I saw a YouTube of a 14-year-old boy that summed up our whole movement for me. This well-spoken young man, who could have passed in knowledge for a college graduate, told how he heard our ideas being denounced. So he decided to Google. He read some of my speeches, and thought, these make sense. Then he studied US foreign policy of recent years, and came to the conclusion that we are right. So he persuaded his father to drop Rudy Giuliani and join our movement.

    All over America, all over the world, we are inspiring real change. With the wars and the spying, the spending and the taxing, the inflation and the credit crisis, our ideas have never been more needed. Please help me spread them in all 50 states. Victory for liberty! That is our goal, and nothing less.

    Sincerely,

    Ron
Ron Paul will be president. Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Evel Knievel Laid to Rest

Evel Knievel was laid to rest yesterday in Butte, Montana. Here is a brief clip of the funeral procession:

Friday, December 07, 2007

Beethoven's 5th Argument

Classic confrontation between Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray:

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Squirrel Roundup (December 6, 2007)

  • Panhandling squirrel harasses office worker
    Martha Reed thought it would be cute to feed that squirrel nuts when it would scratch on the glass door. Now she wonders, "I'm afraid I might have done the wrong thing." (More...)

  • Furry-tailed invader terrorizes homeowner
    Laura Capitano is worried that her new housemate could one day find "his way into the duct work and burst through the vent above me, leaping forth to pierce my trachea with its fearsome claws and pointed teeth." (More...)

  • Squirrels wage biological warfare against other squirrels
    In Britain, it's Greys vs. Reds -- and the Greys appear to be winning. (More...)

  • Squirrel population boom in the U.K.
    In the past two years, Britain's squirrel population has soared above 3 million. Residents are now being encouraged to "view them with caution." (More...)

  • Some people just don't get it
    Professors and students at Boise State University (i.e., people who are old enough to know better) think they can feed the squirrels on their campus and continue to live with them in relative peace and harmony. Ignorant fools! (More...)

  • Hawk keeps campus squirrel population in check
    Perhaps the Boise State Broncos should think about adopting a new mascot. (More...)

  • Squirrel psychology
    As if feeding them wasn't enough, some people are trying to give these tree rats personality tests. (More...)

  • Florida mystery animal might be a squirrel
    According to the AP, "An animal sneaking around Baker County is not an orangutan as originally thought but likely a fox squirrel." Wait... A squirrel big enough to be confused with an orangutan?! That's it. I'm never moving to Florida. (More...)

  • Friday, November 30, 2007

    Evel Knievel's Final Jump

    The King of Stuntmen made his final jump today:
      Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over crazy obstacles including Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.

      Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs.

      Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills.

      Longtime friend and promoter Billy Rundel said Knievel had trouble breathing at his Clearwater condominium and died before an ambulance could get him to a hospital.

      "It's been coming for years, but you just don't expect it. Superman just doesn't die, right?" Rundel said.

      (Full story)
    It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting down to watch Evel Knievel on TV. Yeah, OK, I admit it. I was a fan. I even had a few of his popular toys, namely the Stunt Cycle, the Sky Cycle, and the Crash Car. Fortunately, I never took it to the next level and started jumping moving cars with my Huffy.

    Evel wasn't exactly the kind of role model parents wanted their kids to emulate, but impressionable young boys couldn't help but be amazed by his death-defying stunts. He'll be missed.

    Thursday, November 29, 2007

    A Grand Night for Singing

    I have the privilege of singing with the Great Northern Union Chorus, and on November 17 we had our season finale concert. Fortunately, someone's camera was rolling, so here are a couple of selections for your listening enjoyment. (Oh, yeah. I'm on the far right in the fourth row.):


      That Ever I Saw


      Loch Lomond
    By the way, you can order a copy of our new CD here.

    Tuesday, November 27, 2007

    Cookie Primary

    The unfortunately named Yankee Magazine is holding the "first-in-the-nation primary for the presidential candidates' best cookies." Cast your vote here.

    Naturally, I liked Ron Paul's choice:
      Carol Paul's (Mrs. Ron Paul) Apricot-Coconut Balls

      You don't have to bake these and they look so pretty on a Christmas cookie tray -- so good!

      • 8 ounces dried apricots (chop in food processor)
      • 2/3 cup coconut
      • 2/3 cup condensed milk
      • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

      Mix dried apricots with coconut. Add condensed milk and chopped pecans. Roll in small balls and then in confectioners sugar and refrigerate.
    It's interesting to note that Paul's selection reflects his recipe for politics: straightforward, simplistic, and not a lot of fluff. Coincidence? I think not!

    America Is Doomed: National Anthem Skipped before Monday Night Football!

    Yes, it's true. Since the Monday Night match-up between the Steelers and the Dolphins was already delayed because of weather, it was decided that the national anthem should be skipped. The horror!

    Lord knows why this travesty was allowed to occur. Was it because the TV executives didn't want to cut into commercial time and risk not honoring the contracts they had with advertisers? Come on! How much more anti-American does it get than that?

    The fans, God bless 'em, didn't react with childish booing or hissing. They just sat in their seats (or were walking to their seats from the parking lot, bathroom, or concession stand) and took the disappointment in stride.

    But what is this country coming to when patriotic Americans cannot express their love for their country before sporting events as God intended? The fans who attended last night's game were simply trying to do their part in supporting the war on terror by getting on with their normal lives -- just as they were ordered to do by the president.

    The liberal TV and NFL bureaucrats responsible for besmirching one of the most sacred of all American traditions need to be held accountable. If we don't do something to rectify the situation, the terrorists win.

    Monday, November 19, 2007

    "Sesame Street" : Viewer Discretion Advised

    Virginia Heffernan's latest piece for The New York Times is sure to cause quite a stir:
      According to an earnest warning on Volumes 1 and 2, "Sesame Street: Old School" is adults-only: "These early 'Sesame Street' episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child."
    Huh? "Intended for grown-ups"? It must be the mature subject matter:
      Nothing in the children's entertainment of today, candy-colored animation hopped up on computer tricks, can prepare young or old for this frightening glimpse of simpler times. Back then — as on the very first episode, which aired on PBS Nov. 10, 1969 — a pretty, lonely girl like Sally might find herself befriended by an older male stranger who held her hand and took her home. Granted, Gordon just wanted Sally to meet his wife and have some milk and cookies, but...well, he could have wanted anything. As it was, he fed her milk and cookies. The milk looks dangerously whole.
    Maybe it's the dismal setting:
      The old "Sesame Street" is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for softies born since 1998, when the chipper "Elmo's World" started. Anyone who considers bull markets normal, extracurricular activities sacrosanct and New York a tidy, governable place — well, the original "Sesame Street" might hurt your feelings.
    Or perhaps it's the politically incorrect behavior:
      I asked Carol-Lynn Parente, the executive producer of "Sesame Street," how exactly the first episodes were unsuitable for toddlers in 2007. She told me about Alistair Cookie and the parody "Monsterpiece Theater." Alistair Cookie, played by Cookie Monster, used to appear with a pipe, which he later gobbled. According to Parente, "That modeled the wrong behavior" — smoking, eating pipes — "so we reshot those scenes without the pipe, and then we dropped the parody altogether."
    Yeah, OK. I realize that "Sesame Street" has never offered anything of real value to children, but come on. Warning labels? Give me a break.

    (HT: Christopher Knight)

    Saturday, November 17, 2007

    Squirrel Alert: Arson Attack!

    Suicide squirrel arsonists have been reported in Blue Island, Illinois:
    Stay alert and stay safe.

    Thursday, November 15, 2007

    The Bush Who Saved Christmas

    Our illustrious leader is going to solve all of our holiday travel woes:
      Thanksgiving is a week from today, and Christmas will quickly follow. This is really a time of joy for our families. Unfortunately, this is also a season of dread for too many Americans. Holiday travelers faced with the prospect of long delayed and cancelled flights and lost baggage, and other problems have become all too often an occurrence. In other words, there's a lot of people that are worried about traveling because they've had unpleasant experiences when they've been flying around the country.

      And so this is a topic that I've just discussed with Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and the Acting Administrator of the FAA, Bobby Sturgell. It's one thing to analyze the problem, but the American people expect us to come up with some solutions.
    Uh, we do? Look, all you Beltway bureaucrats, if you really want to "come up with some solutions," get creative and try something that's never been tried before: butt out and mind your own business.

    Tuesday, November 13, 2007

    What bugs me about cops

    Take a look at this story and see if you can spot the glaring hypocrisy:
    A police officer has been reprimanded for accidentally discharging a Taser, causing an injury -- to the police officer.

    Madison police released a report Monday on the July 31 incident, without revealing the officer's name or gender. The department said the Taser accidentally discharged during a standard checkout procedure.
    Had that same Taser been used on an 82-year-old woman, a sleeping homeowner, or an inquisitive college student, the cop in question would have been given a free pass and praised by "law and order conservatives."

    Now, I know that not every cop runs around zapping people for fun. But the fact that those few rogue cops usually get off without so much as a slap on the wrist should bother every law-abiding citizen.

    Thursday, November 08, 2007

    Burger to Go

    I've seen it rain cats and dogs. But cows?

    A Michigan couple, Charles and Linda Everson, were driving along Highway 150 near Manson, Washington, when their minivan was hit by a 600-pound cow. Apparently, the cow fell off a nearby cliff and plummeted 200 feet to the road below.

    The Eversons, who were in the area celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary, escaped death by mere inches. The cow was less fortunate and had to be euthanized at the scene.

    Wednesday, November 07, 2007

    Wedgie-Proof Underwear

    Two kids bring hope to nerds everywhere:
    It's true what they say: Necessity is the geeky younger brother of invention.

    But seriously, folks, bullying is no laughing matter, and should never be considered an unmentionable subject. I'm glad we were briefed on this important issue. Tormented kids who have to resort to wearing tear-away underwear deserve more support.

    Tuesday, November 06, 2007

    It's the End of the World As We Know It

    How much more tragedy can one nation handle? 9/11, Katrina, the California wildfires, and now the Hollywood writers' strike. In the words of Barry McGuire, we're on the eve of destruction.

    Seriously, things are pretty bad. According to an MSNBC report, about 30 striking writers converged on a house used in the shooting of Desperate Housewives, chanting, "We write the story-a, Eva Longoria."

    Wait...it took a team of 30 writers to come up with that? On second thought, maybe this strike is a good thing. I mean, aren't these the same people who gave us Baywatch Nights?

    "He's a Lumberjack and He's OK..."

    Well, they're not lumberjacks, but my young nephews do know how to chop wood:


    Friday, November 02, 2007

    Elvis Has Left the Building

    Elvis Presley died in 1977. Now, the museum dedicated to the theory that he didn't die is dead.

    Bill Beeny, the 81-year-old owner of the Elvis Is Alive Museum, is finally calling it quits and is selling his Elvis memorabilia on eBay. From the AP:
      Beeny, a self-described "western Kentucky hillbilly" Baptist minister who wound up in Missouri 50 years ago, is selling the contents of his roadside attraction, a transformed coin-operated laundry 55 miles west of St. Louis that he opened in 1990, to satisfy something else that drives him.

      "I have a burden to help people," said Beeny, wearing the penciled dark mustache, long sideburns and slick black hair of an Elvis aficionado. "Someone else can run, will run, the museum. No one in the whole county is doing the job I intend to do."

      Beeny wants to put his energy into serving the needy in rapidly growing Warren County by providing child care, senior services, a food pantry and counseling for the addicted.

      Beeney said he'll miss Elvis, "but life has its changes. You have to let go."
    Better 30 years late than never.

    I think he made the right decision. After all, he's been in direct competition with the official Elvis Is Dead Museum (a.k.a. Graceland) for the last 17 years. That couldn't have been good for business.

    No matter. At least he's found something constructive to do. The King would be pleased.

    Thursday, November 01, 2007

    Right-Brained vs. Left-Brained

    A few weeks ago, the Herald Sun had an interesting test that is supposed to tell whether you are more right-brained or left-brained. The test is simple: just look at the image of the dancer below...



    Is she spinning clockwise or counter-clockwise? If you see her spinning counter-clockwise, as most people supposedly do, then you use more of the left side of your brain. If you see her spinning clockwise, then you're more right-brained.

    OK, so what exactly does that mean? Here's how they break it down:
      LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
      uses logic
      detail oriented
      facts rule
      words and language
      present and past
      math and science
      can comprehend
      knowing
      acknowledges
      order/pattern perception
      knows object name
      reality based
      forms strategies
      practical
      safe
      RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
      uses feeling
      "big picture" oriented
      imagination rules
      symbols and images
      present and future
      philosophy & religion
      can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
      believes
      appreciates
      spatial perception
      knows object function
      fantasy based
      presents possibilities
      impetuous
      risk taking
    When I first looked at the picture, I saw her spinning clockwise. But it seems I'm a switch-hitter. If I concentrate for a second, I can make her spin the other way.

    Go on and give it a try!

    Wednesday, October 31, 2007

    Announcing the Iowa Pumpkin Tax

    Food is not subject to sales tax under Iowa state law, unless you might carve a face into it. The Iowa Department of Revenue has just implemented a new policy that subjects pumpkins to sales tax, under the assumption that they are likely going to be used for decoration rather than for food.

    You can read the full story here.

    I'm so glad they discovered this loophole that has allowed gigantic corporate pumpkin farmers and wealthy food-based home-decorators to escape paying their fair share of taxes! With the extra income collected from this, they can finally outfit the state capitol building with some decent Halloween decorations! Now they just have to get after those walnuts that people put out on their coffee tables and nobody eats!

    Tuesday, October 30, 2007

    In Memory of the World's Oldest Animal (1597? - 2007)

    The oldest known living animal is no longer with us. From FOXNews:
      British marine biologists have found what may be the oldest living animal — that is, until they killed it.

      The team from Bangor University in Wales was dredging the waters north of Iceland as part of routine research when the unfortunate specimen, belonging to the clam species Arctica islandica, commonly known as the ocean quahog, was hauled up from waters 250 feet deep.

      Only after researchers cut through its shell, which made it more of an ex-clam, and counted its growth rings did they realize how old it had been — between 405 and 410 years old.
    I just have one question: How did the chowder taste?

    Squirrel Roundup (October 30, 2007)

    Here's a quick look at what our fiendish furry foes are up to...

  • Squirrels safe to eat again in New Jersey
    In January, the Garden State warned hunters and residents near a toxic waste dump in Ringwood in North Jersey to limit their consumption of squirrel after the feds thought they found lead in a dead squirrel. Officials now say it was a false alarm. (More...)

  • Red squirrels 'face deadly virus'
    The endangered red squirrel population of Anglesey's Newborough Forest is facing a new killer virus, experts say.

    One animal is known to have died of a deadly adenovirus, the first documented case in Wales. Two others are thought likely to be diagnosed with the virus. (More...)

  • Fat squirrel trapped behind bars
    A grey squirrel had to be rescued from a bird feeder as it had gorged on so many nuts it could not squeeze back out through the bars. (More...)

  • Squirrel causes power cut
    A squirrel caused a power cut at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and more than 3,000 homes and businesses in Worcester this morning.

    The power failure occured at about 11.15am and also affected Worcester Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Charles Hastings Way, Worcester. (More...)

  • The Big Squirrel Uprising of 2007 is now underway
    There are more of them now, and they tend to gather and stare in much the same way the birds stared at Tippi Hedren before trying to peck her eyes out.

    On my walk each morning, the squirrels I meet up with have barely concealed contempt for me. They don't even bother moving out of my way any longer.

    One of them throws nuts at the top of my head when I walk beneath the shagbark hickory tree on my route. The nuts are encased in thick green husks, large enough to do me in if the squirrel's aim is just right. It's only a matter of time. (More...)

  • Ask the Gazette: Squirrel Attacks
    What's the worst thing that a squirrel has ever done to anyone?


    (More...)

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  • Saturday, October 27, 2007

    FEMA Strikes Again



    This has gotta be a first! ....Well, sadly, it's probably not...everything's been done before....

    Turns out that FEMA staged a press conference last week with no press! The press conference, regarding the California wildfires, was announced only 15 minutes ahead of time, thus no actual reporters showed up. But, they were televising it live, and were afraid to look dumb, so they went ahead and got dumber. They had FEMA employees pose as reporters to ask questions. You can imagine how critical and probing the questions were!

    You can read the whole story from numerous sources here.

    Deep Fried Beverages?

    I thought I had seen just about every kind of state fair food there was, but this one really takes the cake (or Coke, as it were):
      There are fried Twinkies and even fried candy bars.

      Now, vendor Abel Gonzales Jr. has come up with a new artery-clogging concoction for the State Fair of Texas. It's fried Coke.

      Gonzales deep-fries Coca-Cola-flavored batter. He then drizzles Coke fountain syrup on it. The fried Coke is topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry. Gonzales said the fried Coke came about just from thinking aloud.

      Gonzales' diet-buster wins the creativity honor at the second-annual Big Tex Choice Awards Contest.

    Now if they can only figure out a way to put it on a stick...

    Thursday, October 25, 2007

    Speaking of Star Trek...

    You may have already seen the teaser poster:


    J. J. Abrams, co-creator of the hit TV series LOST, has signed on to direct the 11th Star Trek movie. The story will focus on the early adventures of Kirk and Spock and will feature an entirely new cast. Here's who they have so far:Logically, Leonard Nimoy will make an appearance as an older Spock. For updates, visit TrekMovie.com.

    Monday, October 22, 2007

    May the Shat Be with You

    William Shatner ain't as cool as he used to be, but he's still got it.

    Sunday, October 21, 2007

    The Shat Is Where It's At

    Will there ever again be someone as cool as William Shatner?
    Perhaps, but I think it's gonna be a long, long time.

    Friday, October 19, 2007

    Speaking of Television

    This new Sony Bravia looks like it could really make a mess of your family room:


    TV Transmitters Explained

    Here's everything you need to know about television engineering:



    Update: more of the monitors are color now, there's about 1/3 the number of engineers, and their glasses have wire rims.

    Now that you know everything, please send your resume to KCCI-TV. Persons who enjoy working rotating shifts for peanuts encouraged to apply!

    Thursday, October 18, 2007

    Wild Kingdom Indeed!

    I don't recall Marlin Perkins featuring fighting giraffes on his show:

    Thursday, October 11, 2007

    I Can't Hear You; I'm Wearing Long Sleeves

    Just when you start to think art has already hit rock bottom, it manages to sink to a new low. From the Daily Mail:
      Performance artists are known for pushing the bounderies, but one Australian has astonished his contemporaries by having a third ear implanted onto his arm.

      The Cypriot-born eccentric Stelios Arcadious spent 10 years searching for a surgeon willing to perform the controversial operation.

      He got his wish after working as a Research Fellow at Nottingham Trent University's Digital Research Unit. The ear was grown in a lab from cells and implanted into the 61-year-olds left forearm in 2006.

      Mr Arcadious said he thought art "should be more than simply illustrating ideas." Once the ear has fully developed he hopes to get a microphone implanted as well.

      "It is more of a relief at present than an ear but it is still recognisable as an ear," he said.
    A third ear? I hope he's stocking up on Q-Tips.