Buddy, Can You Spare a Death Star?

Here is one of the most sobering and shocking websites I've visited in months... Layoff Daily. It's a horribly thorough compendium of all the layoffs announced in the media day-by-day. And it's very... extensive. Dammit.

Now, if you're feeling a bit blue after checking out that website, why don't you check out this wonderful video of Chris Calloway, Cab's daughter, singing Kicking the Gong Around in Santa Fe a couple years ago... before she discovered and subsequently died of breast cancer. Yeah, a real bummer, but since we already seem to be in that mood, what the fuck...

The Greenhouse and Bathtub Effects

The latest understanding of global warming, which is a part of a greater problem facing the world, global climate change, says that our planet is like a very large bathtub that we've been gradually filling with CO2. The bathtub has a small drain, but we've been filling it much faster than it's been draining.

The problem, as we are beginning to understand, is that even if we slow the flow of CO2 into the bathtub, the drain is so slow, that we're looking at centuries before things might reach an equilibrium again.

Plus, there's a point that by the time the disastrous effects become apparent to all, it will be too late. By that time, we can never put things back the way they once were. We are rapidly approaching that point.

I could provide all kinds of links explaining this in much greater detail, but I will provide ONE LINK HERE, as well as a video of a lecture on this very subject given recently by Dr. John Sterman, the Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management and Engineering Systems, and Director of System Dynamics Group at M.I.T.
(Please skip ahead to minute 18 of the video for his 30-minute presentation)

Toasters in Jacuzzis Have Their Place

Interactive YouTube? You bet!

Destined to Be Classic Colbert

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Bill O'Reilly Doesn't Report Rumors

PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

Worst Commercial Placement EVER

From the new Battlestar Galactica...

This is Why I Love Joe Biden

He says this stuff, everybody laughs and/or gasps, the wingnutters go crazy, and then life goes on...



And in case you're worried about Justice Roberts' poor performance yesterday, he and President Obama did a do-over of the Oath of Office today in the White House... you know, just to be sure.

Boy, Did We Get the Green Weenie!

Eight years ago, when the country had just finished the political upheavals of the 2nd most contentious and potentially explosive presidential election ever, an historian wrote how America had always been fortunate to elect their best presidents ever during the most trying times the country faced -- Lincoln in the White House as the debates of slavery were reaching a crest, and F.D.R. during the Great Depression and then WWII.

I remember being reassured by this essay, telling friends that perhaps the sheer incompetency of G.W. Bush -- yes, we Democrats saw it so clearly then, though we TENS OF MILLIONS were dismissed as extremists and moonbats -- indicated that America would not be sorely and severely tested as it had been by the Civil War in the 19th century and the collapse of free markets and civility in the first half of the 20th century.

Because 'W' had won the election, surely the Gods wouldn't test America's resiliency while one of the least qualified men ever occupied the White House!

Boy, were I and that historian wrong...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So now that Obama is headed to the White House, one of the most promising men ever to be elected President, I have to ask, what are we in for now?

Please, No Sword Swallowers

A friend who lives near and works in Washington D.C. commented that D.C. was going to be a circus the next 5+ days.

I responded, "Yeah, but it's going to be one of those fun, youthful circuses with talented and graceful trapeze artists and jugglers, not a disturbing, bizarro-world circus with creepy clowns, bearded women, and psychotic elephants."

Just thought I'd share.

How Long Will the Teamsters Continue to Suck?

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since Teamsters Local #17 stole $50 from my paycheck. That money was to pay for my family's Christmas -- yes, Unions stole my Christmas* -- and I haven't received a refund, nor have they even called me back.

I called and left a message two weeks ago. Nothing.

Then I called again today, and the woman I needed to speak to? Out on Tuesdays. So I left another message.

So I post this instead: The Teamsters suck and will continue to suck until they refund my family's Christmas.

The photo to the right is me wearing the only part of the UPS uniform that I got to keep. Because it's a Santa's Helper hat with UPS spelled on it using Christmas trees and stars and snowmen. No, I didn't get it from UPS. I received it from a deranged friend who thought it would be great if I wore it while I worked for UPS. Which I didn't.

Did I remember to say she is deranged? When she posts here commenting on my ungratefulness, you'll know it. Her blog can be found at this link.


*That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Refuse to Believe

This is a stunning commercial and I had to watch it twice to admire its craftsmanship...

I Would Want to be Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter and SENATOR Al Franken discuss which historical figure they would want to be...

Stupid Passwords

Damn, I got nervous for a minute while perusing this list. What is it? A list of the 500 Worst Passwords of All Time. Why are they so bad? See for yourself.

Why did I get nervous? Because I thought I might discover that I have no imagination. Fortunately, my low-security password is NOT on this list.

Low security? Yeah, I use a somewhat common word as my low-security password -- used for online subscriptions and silly things. Fortunately, it's not THAT common.

I also have a high-security password that I use for IMPORTANT stuff like PayPal, online bank accounts, and things that matter. That password is [almost] hackproof. Okay, it's not THAT great, but still it's pretty good.

So, do you do that too? Use a couple of passwords on just about everything in your online life so you can always remember them?

Isn't the Petty Little Man Gone Yet?

Blair House Mystery Revealed

The Most Intuitive Product EVER Designed!

MacBook's One Big Wheel:


Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Niobee Does Whatever She Wants

Here's Niobee, our 15-week-old Siamese kitten, climbing on BalticTiger, climbing on the kitchen counters, and sauntering off without a care...

Joke Works for Architects too

Bicycle Lane Advocates in Maryland Labeled as Terrorists

As was reported in the Washington Post last July, Maryland State Police have been monitoring war protesters and death penalty opponents in recent years. However, it's now being reported that the surveillance included many more progressive advocacy groups... including supporters of bike lanes. They even considered and labeled these folks as terrorists!

The Maryland State Police surveillance of advocacy groups was far more extensive than previously acknowledged, with records showing that troopers monitored -- and labeled as terrorists -- activists devoted to such wide-ranging causes as promoting human rights and establishing bike lanes.

Bike lane advocates, terrorists? Seriously?!

Lesson Re-Learned: Never be surprised how right-wing fear and distrust can feed into institutionalized stupidity and despotism.