Category: Interesting

According to Wired, it won’t be “germ warfare, runaway nanobots, or shifting magnetic poles that will kill us.” Runaway nonobots? What the hell are those?

Bid for one on eBay and find out. “That’s the theory behind one state representative’s pitch to hold auctions for solo drivers to bid on a faster commute in the car-pool lanes. […] And eBay is a good way to find out how much that trip is worth for delivery companies like FedEx or UPS, truckers or commuters.” Interesting. I wonder if this will fly? It’s amazing to me that states are finally realizing the power of the Internet when it comes to selling stuff.

Take this test to find out. It’s a bit involved and in-depth, but actually a bit scientific (unlike the ones Neil keeps taking) .

From Al’s Morning Meeting, a story in The Kansas City Star about how the VW Beetle became the object of a game that has resulted in 35 years of children slugging each other when one drives by.

To quote the story: “In the 1998 film “Wag the Dog,” political operatives employ special editing techniques to create phony footage that will engender public sympathy for a manufactured war. Now we find that in 2003 the real-life Pentagon’s ability and willingness to manipulate the facts make Hollywood’s story lines look tame. After a thorough investigation, the British Broadcasting Corp. has presented a shocking dissection of the “heroic” rescue of Pvt. Jessica Lynch, as reported by the U.S. military and a breathless American press.”

Basically, what the author is saying that the Bush administration made the whole Jessica Lynch POW rescue into something way more than it was, flat out saying that it was a crock. More outlets publishing the story. Crazy stuff, but I certainly wouldn’t put it beyond anybody in Washington, especially this administration.

This could be a real stinker this week for the Pentagon. Apparently over $1 trillion are missing as well as “dozens of tanks, missiles and planes.” Full Story.

I’ve got a question: How do you lose $1 trillion dollars? Hell, give me a million, and I’ll hold on to it for you.

A Portland parent planed to auction three original Doonesbury comic strips Friday to benefit budget-strapped schools in Portland (Garry Trudeau, Doonsebury’s creator, is from Portland). The toons for sale were original drawings from the strips that lampooned the Oregon budget crisis.

The thing was, nobody showed up to the auction (at least, no bidders). And to quote Rob’s Site where I got this link, “What kind of signal does this send about public support of the tax for schools?” A very poor one, in my opinion.

Especially when you compare them to the rest of the world.

“What happens when you type a single letter — whether accidentally or intentionally — into Google? The Google Alphabet shows the first result the first hit you get (in English) for each letter. […] The results are interesting, but not particularly meaningful. It’s hard enough for a search engine to fathom the intent of a single word query. Single letters give virtually no clues for a search engine to process.” From Search Day.

I hate smoking. I think it’s a horribly disgusting habit, and smokers are generally stuck in the habit and can’t get out. While cigarette taxes have gone up nationwide, addicted smokers will still keep buying. I have friends who are addicted, and will admit it, and spend way too much money on their habit. Thanks to a link from Al’s Morning Meeting, those addicted folks can save a few bucks.

On Yesmoke.com (based in Switzerland) a carton of Marlboros from costs only $15, postage included, whereas the average cost of a 10-pack carton in the United States is $37. The tab is even higher in New York City, where smokers pay more than $3.50 a pack just in taxes, which can mean a full-retail price tag of $75 a carton. Switzerland doesn’t have to pay the taxes, so they can pass the savings on.

Obviously, the government is disturbed by this, as research shows that states could lose up to $1.4 billion in tax revenue.

Here’s what I’d like to see for those smokers that save money doing this. Take the money you save, buy something for your kids or family that you couldn’t do otherwise, and set aside some money and invest in a program to stop smoking.