Apple is going to get rich off of iTunes on Windows. Let me just start with that. I downloaded iTunes for Windows. I've used it on my Mac for awhile and it's basically identical on the PC to its Mac incarnation. And it makes sampling of music, purchasing, and downloading so seamless at such a reasonable price that excuse for pirating music is gone. This makes it so easy and convenient that people will be buying music in vast numbers. It's a win-win situation that I think will eventually...
Today there is a report in the UK concerning the largest test on genetically modified crops done so far there. The "results" show that genetically modified crop fields have fewer butterflies and bees in them than the non-genetically modified ones. Their conclusion: GM foods scare off "good" insects like bees and butterflies. Europe has a "Thing" about Genetically modified foods. They would argue that they are being cautionary. This, from a continent that boasts the most nuclear power plants...
So who's the bigger hypocrite? Rush Limbaugh for repeated condemnation for those people who become addicted to crack, heroine, and other illegal drugs. Or Members of the left who have preached compassion, understanding, and forgiveness as the answer to everything who demand now that Limbaugh should go to jail for his addiction to prescription pain medication?
The other day I was talking about just how precarious life on this planet is. Modern human civilization is a tremendous logistical achievement. The amount of uninterrupted energy and food production to sustain it is enormous. Even the slightest interruption can cause the deaths of thousands if not millions. This past summer, the American north east experienced a 24 hour black out. I don't know how many people died (if any) but it caused a massive economic hit. Imagine the results of som...
Meanwhile over at http://www.lileks.com/bleats/archive/03/1003/101303.html , Lileks has a great fisking of the FBI whistle blower who exceeded her grasp by writing a fairly incoherent article trying to argue that we are losing our freedoms. Before you take a position on whether we are indeed losing our freedoms, check out Lileks's response in his blog (it's down a few paragraphs). His response is compelling.
Last night on Tim Russert (CNBC) Tucker Carlson and Al Franken battled it out. If you get a chance, look for it as they repeat the show regularly. It really highlights the difference between American conservatives and liberals. I would argue most people on the left would certainly have no problem having Franken be one of their champions. He's quite intelligent, witty, full of "facts", and at least on paper, makes seemingly compelling arguments. I would even go as far as to say that ...
Just got back from visiting Western Michigan University. Next Spring will be the 10th year since I graduated. And here is one thing I learned from a day of walking campus: I AM WAY OUT OF SHAPE. I used to walk all over campus, every day, all day. No problem. My wife and I (we met there), were in bad shape after 2 hours. Just tired and achy. Ironically, next Sunday we're playing paint ball with friends (both my wife and I). That's for 4 hours. If walking at a leisurely pace on ...
Before anyone starts tearing a new hole into Right Wing talk show host, Rush Limbaugh for his addiction to pain killers, remember one thing: Entertainers on the left who go into rehab for illegal drugs like Cocaine, Crack, Heroine, etc. are so common they rarely get reported. But because it's Limbaugh, expect to see a lot of coverage. Update: Yep, it's the top story on CNN right now. Sheesh.
Most people don't really give how precarious human civilization really is. That's mainly because they have better things to do than to worry about that kind of thing. I, on the other hand, don't really have anything better to do sometimes than to think and read about this kind of thing. For example, while many people know that an asteroid nailed the earth 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs along with most other large animals in the ocean and on land, most people aren't aware of ...
This weekend my wife and I are going to WMU which is where we graduated from. It's always fun to check out the campus and see what's changed over the years.
What motivates bloggers? I can't speak for all but for me, I look at blogging as indie editorials. As such, I like being able to express my view on something or provide information to the public that traditionally only full time journalists were able to do. I suspect millions of other bloggers are of the same mind. It's a form of self-expression. If I had cats, I wouldn't talk about what Mittens did today. Rather, I like giving my two cents on pretty much everything. Not that my opinio...
It never fails. In between Summer and Fall I just get that inter-seasonal case of the blahs. I'm feeling tired, a little under the weather and down in the dumps. No particular reason, happens every year. I know that because, like the statistics geek I am, I've graphed it over the years and noticed that when the weather starts to change from warm summers to cool Fall that I just lose all sense of motivation. I don't write for the reasons many people do. I don't consider blogging to be so...
As I type this, JoeUser is on an epic journey across the United States. From Georgia to California. As a result, there will be, for the next 3 or 4 days, some weirdness and articles missing and such. They'll be back asap.
Seems like everyone is writing about the recall in California. It makes for an exciting story but the aftermath won't likely be nearly as exciting. You already hear the Democrats complaining about lack of polling places (apparently it was too much to have to fill out a ballot and mail it in for these people). But here's some sobering realities: California is a mess. Why any business would locate itself in California is beyond me. If any state should have been chopped up into several states it...
Sgt. Striker makes a pretty good case showing just how much the Germans have changed since 1939. He also mentions that Poland, rather than Germany, is now the center of martial prowess in continental Europe these days. Here's Europe just before World War I (1914). The militaristic part of Germany was called Prussia. Prussia is on the far east side of Germany there. But after two world wars, Germany was split in two: Now, if you look closely, you can see that ...