I think this sums it up quite nicely. Link via Cerulean Studios’ blog.
How To Shut Up Bible Thumpers
If you’re sick of the people preaching their religion and or way of life to you on the street, just fight back singing show tunes. Priceless.
I Need a Child Support Lawyer
I have a friend of mine who’s dealing with a jackass ex-husband who has plenty of money, but won’t pay her a dime of the $4,000+ that she’s owed in back child support. The folks at the State of Oregon offices have been less than helpful because the man is living and working in Arizona. She’s talked to a lawyer, but she says that it’s going nowhere and she can’t afford it.
I’m still digging through the Arizona Child Support Services site to see what information I can dig up, because, from what I understand, even if you go through the local office here they have to deal with the folks in Arizona anyway. A lot of red tape, from what I understand.
So I’m looking for somebody that will fight this on her behalf because she doesn’t have the time, money, or resources to fight with this guy any more and, really, wants him out of her hair (he’s now asking her to just sign it all off). Does anybody know somebody that good that has a good knowledge about this sort of thing? E-mail me privately at jake [at] utterly boring [period] com or use the form on the right-side of the page.
Calvin and Hobbes Collection Coming
I mentioned before that The Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes were my two favorite comics growing up. They have released a Complete Far Side Archive, and they’re apparently going to release a complete Calvin and Hobbes Archive.
If anybody’s looking for what to get me for Christmas, now you know. Link via BB.
If You Can Read This, It Worked
If you can read this, this site is now running MovableType 3.1 (been holding out on 2.661). I still need to test things a bit, get Typekey installed on my templates, and tweak a few things (especially following Neil’s speed up tips and setting up dynamic templates on some pages to speed rebuilds).
Ballot Fraud Waiting To Happen
Due to Oregon’s mail-only elections, I can understand ballot counters needing a bit of extra time to count them, but a whole week? That’s how long clerks in Oregon get, prior to election day, to start opening up and taking care of those votes:
When Oregonians mail their ballots to their county clerks this fall, many might mistakenly believe that those inner, “secrecy envelopes” can?t be opened until Election Day. Actually, clerk?s offices around the state can begin to open and examine those ballots a full week before Nov. 2 — two days earlier than back in 2000.
The 2001 Legislature approved the two-day extension, requested by county clerks, giving them more time to process and sort the ballots, checking for any problems, said John Lindback, director of the Oregon Elections Division.
“Due to the heavy turnout in 2000, the clerks asked for the extra two days,” Lindback said. “All the processing is done by inspection boards and is open to the public, and the counties are, of course, required to keep the ballots secure. Everything can be done (ahead of time) except counting the votes.”
The state law, amended in 2001, also says, “The county clerk may take any other actions that are necessary to allow the counting of ballots delivered by mail to begin on Election Day.”
So they can’t officially begin counting them until Nov. 2, but they can open them and get them all ready for counting.
Is it me, or is this just asking for trouble?
Search Your Library Using Amazon
This is one of the coolest little hacks I’ve seen in a long time. When you’re search for books in Amazon, you can click on a bookmarklet (basically a little button) in your browser to have it search your local library’s system for that book. It works wonderfully!
If you’re looking for a bookmark for the Deschutes County Library, just drag the following link to your toolbar/bookmarks, and when you see a book on Amazon you like, click on it and watch it work:
Amazon’s much faster for me than the county’s site, so this work’s great.
Good Thing He Didn’t Ask For A Burger
If you got a bad milkshake at McDonald’s, would you bomb the place? I mean, come on: McDonalds has far worse food to get upset about.
Surfer Rides Hurricane Ivan Waves
This guy has to be one of the craziest people I’ve ever seen. Talented, but crazy.
Weirdest Guinness Records
They actually keep track of this crap? Like the longest maggot bath? Or the heaviest train pulled with a beard? Or did you know there’s actually a listing for hairiest family? Or most watches eaten? Or the longest time with a nail stuck in the head?
Records like these are why I never watched that Guinness Records show when it was on TV.