tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32843902011-12-15T05:19:10.169-08:00News, commentary and fun things from the Internet and around the world.C Knoreply@blogger.comBlogger1741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-853689502002-12-02T01:09:00.000-08:002007-04-04T11:43:23.606-07:00

I'm not sure that I'm going to continue maintaining this blog. I am still reading the international news, but I'm lacking the energy to keep posting here. I'm experimenting with dropping this project for now. If I find that I miss writing it, I'll be back. Or, if I make up my mind, I'll post it here first.Thanks to everyone that I've met through this project. I've loved doing it, and I've

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-844585352002-11-12T22:00:00.000-08:002002-11-12T22:33:23.000-08:00

Crossing Over Experience While I was living with my parents, my 19-year-old nephew one day asked me out of the blue what I think of John Edward and what he does. And while I'm always a bit skeptical of things, I do like the idea that John is really connecting with departed loved ones. I like to think it is possible. I like to think that John is a sincere guy who is really trying to help

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-841428162002-11-06T16:15:00.000-08:002002-11-06T17:21:11.000-08:00

Cross Dressing Angst It's always amazing to me when I see the same theme running through independently reported news items around the world. Male high school students get in trouble for wearing cheerleading uniforms to school with skirts that are too short for the school dress code. They were celebrating a school spirit day. And in Tecate, Mexico, transvestites are in danger of being arrested

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-840839672002-11-05T15:12:00.000-08:002002-11-05T17:40:44.000-08:00

Today's Theme: Election Relief The Preferred Bar For Serial Killers in the Northwest How strange is this? The Waterfront Tavern in Bellingham, Washington has served brewskis to more than one serial killer. How many other bars can make that claim? They include Ted Bundy, Kenneth Bianchi, who was arrested with Angelo Buono Jr. (Hillside Stranglers), James A. Kinney, and now John Muhammad, who

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-837416592002-10-29T15:56:00.000-08:002002-10-29T19:35:19.000-08:00

Mormon Teens Petition For "Respectful" Clothing It's the anti-Britney backlash, and it is coming from the Mormon contingent in the metro Phoenix area. Teens are collecting signatures on a petition to pressure Dillards to carry clothes "that covers the midriff, bust, shoulder, back, legs to the knee and any clothing that shows respect for the body." Good luck, girls. If It Isn't Terrorism... .

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-835408912002-10-25T21:29:00.000-07:002002-10-26T01:22:11.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Disturbing Current Events This Takes The Cake I'll admit that I've spent more time watching the cable news channels this week than usual. It was interesting to see the story unfold, when there really were things that were happening. In general, I don't like the coverage by the cable news channels, the way they sensationalize even the most trivial events, and the way they

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-834316112002-10-23T16:57:00.000-07:002002-10-25T22:11:16.000-07:00

Sad Story From Nigeria Oprah, bless her, is working to use her influence to save the life of Amina Lawal by encouraging people to participate in the letter writing campaign sponsored by Amnesty International. While this story tugs at my heart, and while I would love to see this woman's life saved, I don't believe this effort will be successful. This woman was sentenced to death under the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-833291682002-10-21T19:14:00.000-07:002002-10-25T22:12:17.000-07:00

Alice Cooper's Nightmare The reviews are in, and Alice's haunted house seems to be the real deal. I missed hearing about this house last year, its maiden voyage year, if it is appropriate to talk about a haunted house like a ship. According to Steve Kopelman, the house director, Cooper approached him three years ago with the idea for a haunted house that uses high-tech effects. Kopelman

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-831054672002-10-16T23:34:00.000-07:002002-10-25T23:08:59.000-07:00

No Way! Way! A new subdivision in Toronto is going to have Mike Myers Drive in honor of the home town boy who made good. Hobbits Are Alive And Well... ...and living in Russia according to the results of their latest census. Sexual Enhancement Scam Busted (pun intended) In spite of the informercials, I knew you couldn't really enhance your privates with these potions. Now the whole world

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-827770202002-10-09T21:58:00.000-07:002002-10-25T22:23:20.000-07:00

Jeffrey Archer Creates A New Controversy The British author, Jeffrey Archer, is not best known for his books (including As The Crow Flies, Kane & Abel, Shall We Tell the President, and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less) but for his public controversies. While a Conservative Party Member of Parliment in 1987, Lord Archer sued the Daily Star for libel when they published that he had paid a

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-826210012002-10-06T20:54:00.000-07:002002-10-06T21:13:38.000-07:00

New Sex and the City Book Due Soon I've been out to Amazon to look at the pages, but I haven't made up my mind if I'm going to order this book. Because of my illness, I missed all but the first two episodes of this season. I've heard mixed reviews about the quality of this season, but I'm looking forward to seeing the episodes for myself. And, will the DVD for season 4 be out soon? Organized

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-825008892002-10-03T21:20:00.000-07:002002-10-03T22:00:07.000-07:00

New Ansel Adams Photographs on Display Recently, a box of vacation snapshots taken by Ansel Adams on a trip through the Southwest in 1937 were discovered and are currently on display at the Fitchburg Art Museum in Massachusetts. In addition to the great landscape, they include candids of the travellers, which included Georgia O'Keeffe. The Center for Creative Photography at the University of

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-824521742002-10-02T21:32:00.000-07:002002-10-02T21:53:45.000-07:00

Fallen FDNY Chaplin A Saint? There is a movement afoot to nominate the Reverend Mychal Judge for sainthood within the Catholic Church. From what I've heard of his life, he sounds like a terrific candidate to me. New York City Finds Places of Solace Post-9/11 New York is filling up with a new type of space -- places of solace where employees can go to relax. Mostly, this means that existing

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-823446512002-09-30T19:41:00.000-07:002002-09-30T19:41:11.446-07:00

Dubya Fun Thanks to Jennifer at Forty.Something for finding this gem... a site where you can be the speechwriter for George W. Bush. I spent a lot of time here, and so did my whole family!

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-820699112002-09-24T17:47:00.000-07:002002-10-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

[Quick entry because I just can't keep quiet...] Adult Superstore Controversy Continues The new Castle Boutique Megastore currently under construction in Phoenix is under attack from every angle. What isn't clear from the articles against this construction is that these are retail stores, not adult services facilities. Update: 2 October Now, the issue has gone to the Board of Adjustment,

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-819790972002-09-22T21:28:00.000-07:002002-09-22T22:19:04.000-07:00

[Still recouperating from my surgery, but starting to realize how much I miss the world news...] And While We Are At It, Let's Challenge Copyrights! A fascinating story about Larry Lessig, a Stanford University law professor, whose challenge to the 1998 copyright law, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, is about to reach the US Supreme Court as the case Eldred v. Ashcroft.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-818568202002-09-19T21:44:00.000-07:002002-09-19T21:56:35.000-07:00

Marines Training For Urban Battles I'm recouperating from my surgery at my parent's home in Dayton, Ohio and I discover that the Marines have beat me here. Seems they have taken over parts of the town to prepare for a possible urban battle in Bagdad (yep, the capital of Iraq). The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C. is involved. They previously spent three months in

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-813663642002-09-09T11:49:00.000-07:002002-09-09T11:49:49.893-07:00

Please see my post at Desert Mermaid for an update.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-802672092002-08-15T00:38:00.000-07:002002-08-15T00:38:40.663-07:00

I'm taking a few sick days. Be back when I feel like it!

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-800962362002-08-11T04:26:00.000-07:002002-08-11T04:57:08.000-07:00

Prince Ahmed bin Salman Dies I missed this one when it happened. I wrote about the Prince earlier this year when I realized that he was the owner of a winning throughbred horse, War Emblem. I'm sorry that he has passed so young. I love stories like this, a man whose passions, not heredity, lead him to the successes that he sought in life. [Previous coverage] Administrative Crack Down on

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-799309932002-08-07T03:22:00.000-07:002002-08-07T05:13:38.000-07:00

"I See Crop Circles..." OK, I'll stop making fun of M. Night Shyamalan's movies. But as you might expect, the interest in crop circles has risen in response to his new movie Signs. I'm planning to see it in a couple of weeks. I don't have an opinion about crop circles, and my world wouldn't be shaken one way or the other if they were unmistakenly proven true or false. But the images are

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-798821392002-08-06T00:29:00.000-07:002002-08-06T01:27:30.000-07:00

Martha in an Orange Jumpsuit? Looking for a belly laugh? Then read this wonderful opinion about why Martha Stewart won't be going to jail -- not because she isn't guilty, but because the Federal Bureau of Prisons isn't prepared to contain a style maven like her. In fact, about the only thing M would like about prison is the heavy use of grey, which Paul Coggins observers "...Gray is the new

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-798361542002-08-05T00:02:00.000-07:002002-08-05T00:27:30.000-07:00

Which Side of the Road is Right? Have you ever wondered why some countries drive on the right side of the road, and other countries drive on the left? That question has been answered! Fascinating history of transportation site that gives a method to the madness. While you are there, check out the list of countries that prefer each side. And if you have any additional information, they are

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-798018602002-08-04T02:05:00.000-07:002002-08-04T02:41:01.000-07:00

Virgin Blue Men Get Fair Coverage In America, we have the NY firefighters beefcake calendar... but in the UK, they are now getting a beefcake article about the male flight attendants that work for Virgin Blue airlines. Seems that a group of the women posed for a layout in FHM magazine, and the The Sunday Telegraph decided to select the best beefcake among the male attendants. The winners are

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-797677212002-08-03T00:52:00.000-07:002002-08-03T21:28:51.000-07:00

Arizona Prisoner Law Being Challenged I live in the wild, wild west. People shopping in Circle K have guns on them. Last month, a prisoner chain gang (yup, with stripes and ankle shackles like "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?") was cleaning up the street about a half mile from my home. We have a tent city jail, and the prisoners have to wear pink boxer shorts. Oh, and we have webcams inside the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-797424672002-08-02T10:59:00.000-07:002002-08-02T14:05:33.000-07:00

Bhutan Gets New Window on the World It's official. In 2003, the people of Bhutan will finally be able to use the Windows operating system, thanks to a new version in the Dzongkha language developed jointly by Microsoft, The Orient Foundation, and Dzongkha Development Commission. Too bad they didn't get the Mac first! Russian Mob's Sports Connection I guess that with the big bucks generated by

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-796785482002-08-01T00:10:00.000-07:002002-08-01T19:07:34.000-07:00

Cock Flavoured Soup Mix Maybe it's just because it is late and I haven't had much sleep, but when I ran across this product, a real product from Jamaica, I fell on the floor laughing. The jokes are running wild in my head. I'll spare you... fill in your own punch line. I'm not recommending that you buy from these guys, just showing off what made me laugh and laugh. And don't ask how I found

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-796295202002-07-30T22:57:00.000-07:002002-07-31T01:19:59.000-07:00

Tombstone's Western Film Festival I've seen my share of western films, mostly while I was growing up. Like most of America, after Blazing Saddles, I had no interest in westerns any more. But I do love local film festivals, and who knows, maybe next year I'll check out Tombstone's contribution. How To Get To Sesame Street From Israel An amazing story of hope. It turns out that there is a joint

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-795654592002-07-29T14:39:00.000-07:002002-07-29T15:33:52.000-07:00

Flopsy Top Gone Spikey I like Hugh Grant's work. From the interviews I've seen with him, the small glimpses into his real personality, I suspect that I would not like the real person very much. Here's an Australian interview of the new Hugh, the evil twin of the flopsy haired bumbling Hugh, the evil twin with the spikey hair cut. Malaysian "Tea Breaks" Running Long, Impacting Customer

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-795061492002-07-28T02:34:00.000-07:002002-07-28T03:39:26.000-07:00

Today's Theme: The Weird and Unusual Remnants of the Atomic Age Looking for something unusual to add to the itinerary of your next road trip? Why not find out if there are any atomic sites along your route, such as abandoned missile silos, or the site of atomic bomb testing. Not sure how to find out? Just ask the Bureau of Atomic Tourism! Here you will find a Titan missile silo museum with

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-794810932002-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:002002-07-27T12:35:39.000-07:00

Today's Theme: All About Arizona Frank, Baby Some pretty famous people have called Phoenix home, including David Spade, Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Erma Bombeck, Bil Keane, Stephen Spielberg, Hugh Downs, Alice Cooper, and Charles Barkley. Perhaps the most famous resident of Phoenix was Frank Lloyd Wright. Although at the time of his death, he was still living in the open desert far from the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-794479332002-07-26T12:00:00.000-07:002002-07-26T13:09:21.000-07:00

Malfunction, Not Criminal Act, Sunk the Kursk A press release today from Russia reports that the Kursk sank because of leaking torpedo fuel, and not an attack. [previous coverage] Corporate Theft: Ivy League Style Corporate theft is not a new issue. Neither is it news that Yale and Princeton are arguing. But add to that mix a bit of admitting hacking, and you have the impetus for the FBI

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-793832862002-07-25T00:02:00.000-07:002002-07-25T00:02:33.396-07:00

Another Reason Not To Go To Prison Did you know that our government doesn't allow the showing of R, X, or NC-17 movies to inmates? The porno I'm not surprised about, but the R movies I am. I know that most of the movies I watch are rated R, especially until a few years ago when more quailty PG-13 movies started coming out. There is a lawsuit challenging this policy, and it's being appealed.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-793685122002-07-24T16:59:00.000-07:002002-07-24T23:36:50.000-07:00

You've Heard "Don't Mess With Texas..." ...Now Arizona has a litter campaign. You can now report drivers that you see tossing trash from a car with a special hotline. I can't wait to see what happens next! At least the traffic cameras collect evidence that a crime was committed. It's going to be the talking mouth show redeux. At least they are promising to start with awareness warnings,

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-791799262002-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:002002-07-19T22:48:37.640-07:00

Thanks to the regulars who stop by... I've just been swamped lately. I miss doing my updates, and promise to be back on schedule in the very near future. In the meantime, I'll continue to post as time allows.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-790704022002-07-17T10:03:00.000-07:002002-07-17T10:17:03.000-07:00

Johannesburg Newspaper Purchased by Zimbabwe Media Mogul The Mail & Guardian has been purchased by Trevor Ncube who is the CEO of both the Zimbabwean Independent and The Standard, and has taken a stand against the media censorship in his country. The paper, formerly owned by the Guardian Media Group in London, has been losing money for some time, and Ncube hopes to turn that around. He will be

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-790195382002-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:002002-07-16T23:40:54.000-07:00

In-N-Out Burger Still Tops Is anyone else dizzy over the new offerings at the typically boring fast food restaurants? I'm not eating there these days [I've lost more than 40 pounds since the start of the year], but I'm confused by variety and consistency of the offerings. Everyone has a new burger or two. Everyone has a new chicken burger. According to this article, the only major chain not

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-789018152002-07-13T06:03:00.000-07:002002-07-13T06:23:50.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Health & Illness Tango Competition Starts in Finland Blogger problems... Canadian Border Workers Catch TB Five immigration workers at the Canada-U.S. border crossing at Lacolle, Quebec, the busiest border crossing point in Quebec, have contracted tuberculosis from an immigrant. The woman was entering Canada from New York, and the disease was diagnosed through a routine medical

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-788151732002-07-11T04:44:00.000-07:002002-07-11T04:44:21.920-07:00

Italian Police Shut Down Anti-Catholic Site Did you know that blasphemy is illegal in Italy? That is why the Italian police have shut down a series of websites created by a man in Rome and hosted by web services in the US. No details have been released. Russian IKEA Building Mega-Mall Swedish home furnishing chain IKEA is building a mall around its newest Russian store in Moscow. Retailers

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-787235052002-07-09T01:21:00.000-07:002002-07-09T05:01:25.000-07:00

An Iranian Global Village If you don't think the Internet is changing the world, you need to read this article. The small village of Shahkooh, Iran has a permanent web server and many computers for its citizens. Training classes are free. This article states that it is easier to reach this village of 6,000 by email than by car. All of this, thanks to the vision and effort of villager Ali

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-786799772002-07-08T01:56:00.000-07:002002-07-08T02:50:06.000-07:00

Bob Crane Murder Unsolved, Movie In The Works Bob Crane, the star of Hogan's Heroes, was murdered in Scottsdale 16 years ago, in a case that is still unsolved. Now, Greg Kinnear is scheduled to play him in a new movie, Auto Focus, about these events. The Tighter They Squeeze... ...The more covert tools will be developed so communications can slip through the government fingers. Now,

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-785987562002-07-05T16:09:00.000-07:002002-07-08T23:16:33.000-07:00

As Mexican As Cactus Interesting information about the food use of the prickly pear cactus, known as nopales in Spanish. These plants are native to the southwest US and throughout Mexico, and are the state plant of Texas. I didn't know that they are also found on the Galapogos Islands. Harry Potter Forgery A Chinese author has created a fake 5th book for the Harry Potter series, and it has

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-785129712002-07-03T09:34:00.000-07:002002-07-03T09:34:13.273-07:00

Arizona July 4th Celebrations Have a safe and happy 4th.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-784124252002-07-01T02:57:00.000-07:002002-07-01T03:33:28.000-07:00

Creator of the Blackberry Honored Yea, Canada! The top winner in the Nation Builder contest sponsored by the Globe and Mail and CTV, is Mike Lazaridis, an interesting guy and the father of the Blackberry. I don't have a Blackberry, yet, but I also don't have a PDA and didn't get my cell phone until many years after everyone else had one. I'm not a gizmo person. Finger Pointing In Friendly

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-782606022002-06-27T00:36:00.000-07:002002-06-27T00:46:33.000-07:00

Egyptian Company Produces Beauty Products From Ancient Recipes Concerned about the chemicals found in her daughter's shampoo, Mona Erian, a pharmacist, started her own company, Nefertari Natural Body. While many of the recipes are from ancient Egypt, some of them are from her grandmother, and all use natural products without chemicals. The products are available in a shop in Cairo, and by

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-782591082002-06-26T23:33:00.000-07:002002-06-27T00:16:10.000-07:00

Sexy Teens Too Much, Too Fast? For more than twenty years, people have been saying that we are pushing our kids to grow up too fast. It was a topic in my curriculum when I was getting ceritified to become a teacher, thanks to The Hurried Child by Dr. David Elkind. Jen commented this week about the inappropriate clothing she noticed on the junior high girls at her son's graduation. You don't

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-781705202002-06-25T02:09:00.000-07:002002-06-25T02:39:53.000-07:00

See What Happens Without First Ammendment Protection? The publisher of a dissenting voice website in Tunisia was arrested in the cyber cafe where he was working, had a trial, and will spend over two years in prison. Zouhair Yahyaoui is guilty of expressing an opinion that differs from the government's position, in legalese it is stated as "spreading false information" and illegally using an

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-781256712002-06-24T01:58:00.000-07:002002-06-24T03:29:27.000-07:00

Arizona Ravaged By Fires It's far enough away from me that I am safe, at least for now, but there is something very unsettling about a force of nature running wild. Arizona Central has coverage of the fires in the White Mountains, in eastern Arizona, the largest fire in our history. It's even on the news in Toronto, Japan, and Australia! The Los Angeles Times has a photo gallery from Show

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-780162992002-06-21T00:37:00.000-07:002002-06-21T13:53:37.000-07:00

What's UP With 7-UP Somehow, I missed hearing about this when it happened. It seems that 7-Up created a TV ad for MTV that involved a reference to sexual abuse in prisons. And apparently, the honchos didn't realize that was the joke, at least that is what Philippa Dworkin, Vice President of Corporate Communications said when confronted about the ad. It's been pulled. But 7-Up has a history

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-777330902002-06-14T01:52:00.000-07:002002-06-14T01:52:56.813-07:00

Why Does Our Government Not Want This Book Published? During the 1990s, Danny Stillman, an intelligence officer at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, made nine trips into China and interviewed their leading nuclear scientists. He did not travel for work, and he was debriefed after each trip. Now, Stillman has written a book about what he learned, and our government is fighting him to keep the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-777274222002-06-13T21:40:00.000-07:002002-06-14T00:26:19.000-07:00

Eating Crow I love crows. I can tell you more facts about them than you would believe. (For example, they are songbirds and not birds of prey.) I know more references to crows in literature than I care to admit. The phrase "eat crow" is sacred to me (as well as being something that I try to avoid doing). Well, there is one man on the planet who differs from me on that point. Ong Tiong Sing

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-776829552002-06-12T20:59:00.000-07:002002-06-12T21:30:15.000-07:00

What Do You Get... When you cross a monk with a disco? Double Dorje. This is one of the funniest culture pieces I've read in a long time, written in Nepal about an experience of nightlife in Thamel. Andrew Meldrum Trial Begins In Zimbabwe This article gives some of the basic story of what happened and why Meldrum is being charged. But remember, this is part of a bigger effort to silence the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-776017842002-06-11T01:00:00.000-07:002002-06-11T01:48:34.000-07:00

Dollywood Founder Eyes Florida Expansion Yep, the queen of country music, Dolly Parton, is expanding her entertainment empire to include a new dinner theatre that will be located in Florida near Disney World. It's not the first Dixie Stampede she has opened in a tourist area, and it certainly won't the last. Canadarm2 Repairs Underway The essential mechnical arm for the International Space

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-775891542002-06-10T18:16:00.000-07:002002-06-11T00:52:46.000-07:00

Sydney Film Festival There are some great movies being shown here at a festival that is known for documentaries as well as movies. Movies include: Texas, a documentary about Russell Crowe's band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, which includes scenes with Meg Ryan, Black & White, starring Robert Carlyle, about a murder trial in Adelaide that changes the Australian justice system and involved the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-775327022002-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:002002-06-10T00:50:24.000-07:00

Yucca Mountain Saga I haven't been writing about this because it is showing up everywhere, but I decided that I need to say something about it. Nuclear waste is a logical consequence of our atomic/nuclear lust, and now, Congress has decided to ship all of the nuclear waste from every location around the US by truck and train to a central location in Nevada, Yucca Mountain. Did I mention that

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-775070732002-06-08T12:32:00.000-07:002002-06-08T13:11:53.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Artistic Expression Has No Limits Celestial Performance Art to Happen on Monday Phoenix is one of the great places to see the solar eclipse on Monday. Everyone is talking about it. Don't forget, you are not supposed to look directly at the sun during this time -- it will damage your eyes. Starbucks Takes Vienna By Storm Vienna, that quintessential European city of coffee, has

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-774117552002-06-06T01:39:00.000-07:002002-06-06T02:24:46.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Good News Is Hard To Find! Calling All Women We all know about the problems happening with Catholic priests... and now a crisis for nuns. It seems that fewer and fewer women are willing to take up the cross, take the vows of poverty and chastity, and consider themselves married to JC. And wear penguin suits. (That's my Catholic upbringing speaking. At least I didn't mention

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-773819372002-06-05T10:36:00.000-07:002002-06-05T11:25:45.000-07:00

Today's Theme: I'm Back! Jizz Demand Creates Need For New Technology OK, I added this one because it makes me laugh. The dairy cattle in New Zealand must be really fabulous, because the demand for their semen has outpaced their supply! (Imagine that!) Now, the solution may be offered by Clone International, which is planning to clone the semen to increase the supply. The plan involves the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-772254842002-06-01T11:44:00.000-07:002002-06-05T10:15:25.000-07:00

Diamondbacks Screensaver Download and install this free screensaver, an official Diamondbacks 2002 World Champs screensaver, from America West, the official airline of the team.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-771637772002-05-30T18:22:00.000-07:002002-05-31T05:38:04.000-07:00

Placebos, Drugs & Healing The $64,000 question: Why do some people recover and other people, with the same disease/condition not recover? What is the role of the patient's desire/psychology/faith in healing? No doubt, there is some intangible contribution the patient makes, whether or not it is enough to save them. Now, this study shows that for the most part, taking a placebo really does

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-770732782002-05-28T12:16:00.000-07:002002-05-28T12:19:03.000-07:00

The New Face of Action Heroes I hate to admit this, but last month I saw The Rock (Dwayne Douglas Johnson) interviewed several times, and I actually like him. I know nothing of his wrestling career, and I haven't seen his movie, but he came off in the interviews as a very likeable personality. He is one of a new breed of action heroes defined in this insightful look at cultural changes and

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-770159572002-05-27T00:20:00.000-07:002002-05-27T01:02:55.000-07:00

WTC Attack In "Art" Personally, I wouldn't buy a purse that showed airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center twin towers, but then people have always questioned my taste. World's Leading Earthquake and Tidal Observatory Opens in Austria The Conrad Observatory, named for Victor Conrad, one of the early leading seismologists, opens at Trafelberg in Austria and will be run by Peter Melichar.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-769849962002-05-26T02:16:00.000-07:002002-05-26T03:02:18.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Health Issues Yoga Being Taught In California Schools I know, only in California... but as a practitioner of kundalini yoga, I must say, I'm glad to see this report. Physical education teacher, Phyllis Camp at James Lick Middle School in the San Francisco area, is using yoga to help kids learn to relax, concentrate and gain physical strength. The article is full of quote from

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-769552952002-05-25T02:37:00.000-07:002002-05-25T19:18:01.000-07:00

Wanting To Vacation Several years ago, I drove the Pacific Coast from San Clemente, CA to Seattle, WA and it was a fabulous experience. I had several favorite places along the way, including the Redwoods, the Oregon Coast including the Cape Blanco Lighthouse near Port Orford, and the central California coast.. One of those placed I decided that I would have to return to is the Cambria area,

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-769167392002-05-24T01:19:00.000-07:002002-05-24T01:29:03.000-07:00

Plan To Free Trapped Dolphin A dolphin has become trapped in nylon ropes in Bahrain. Tim Collins, from the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group, has visited the site and is planning a rescue attempt. Ongoing Problems At Camp X-Ray Mamdouh Habib, recently transfered to Camp X-Ray from Egypt after being arrested in Pakistan, has claimed that he doesn't know why he is being held and that he has

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-768921482002-05-23T11:53:00.000-07:002002-05-23T12:57:01.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Weight Watching The Skinny on Jared and Subway Being skeptical about anything in a TV ad, I wondered just how true the claims about Jared and Subway sandwiches could be. Weight Watchers recently came out with their own opinion about making Subway part of a diet plan, and they endorse it, with some reservations. If you want a good laugh, check out what this "investigation"

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-768350872002-05-22T03:14:00.000-07:002002-05-26T22:43:37.000-07:00

Real Life "Little Buddha" The movie, Little Buddha (with Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda), was based on the true story of three children who were determined to be the reincarnation of an important Buddhist lama. Now, Ngawang Tenpey Nyenjyed, a 5-year-old, has been identified as the reincarnation of Gyelwa Shacha Rinchen, an 18th century Je Khenpo (theocratic leader) of Bhutan. Science &

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-768254492002-05-21T20:17:00.000-07:002002-05-21T21:11:42.000-07:00

Shell Oil Planning Pipelines In Gulf of Mexico Shell is planning to build two pipelines, one for oil and the other for natural gas, in the US Gulf of Mexico near the Garden Banks area of the Magnolia Field development which is run by Conoco. The Garden Banks area is a coral reef and a national marine sanctuary. Bronze Statue Lost After WTC Attacks The World Trade Center offices were full of

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-767497452002-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:002002-05-20T02:51:30.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Things Coming To An End Open Season on Kangaroos Well, not exactly. I grew up where the deer population was regulated by the hunting season. When the population was high, the season was extended to compensate. But in Australia, they have hired a contractor to go in and shoot up to 15,000 kangaroos from the population in the Puckapunyal Army Base just north of Melbourne in

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-767269402002-05-19T10:31:00.000-07:002002-05-19T12:20:28.000-07:00

Art & Garbage Mierle Laderman Ukeles is the first "artist in residence" in the sanitation department of New York City. Her past projects have included videotaping a "ballet" of street sweepers, a parade of sanitation bosses sweeping a Manhattan pararde route with brooms, and Flow City, a clean-up project along the Hudson River. She sees sanitation workers as domestic servants on a public level,

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-766909512002-05-18T03:46:00.000-07:002002-05-18T03:46:03.006-07:00

History of 10 Downing Street While perhaps not the best known address in America (especially for the Beverly Hills 90210 generation), 10 Downing is perhaps the best known foreign address here. I was thrilled to learn about the history of the building, including the story of Sir George Downing, a Yank and a Harvard graduate. I wonder if he belonged to a secret society? Bush Knew And there is

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-766875612002-05-17T23:36:00.000-07:002002-05-18T03:23:32.000-07:00

Buh-Bye X-Files As the last season draws to a close, I find myself considering purchasing the series of DVD, something I never thought I would do. I'm not the only person who seems to be anticipating X-Files withdrawl. The finale is all over the press, all over the world. In Australia, they give more of a description of the last episode that I've found anywhere else, and wax on about

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-765540602002-05-14T16:26:00.000-07:002002-05-17T23:58:48.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Code Breakers I just saw "A Beautiful Mind" for the first time, and it has left me very curious about code breaking and our not-so-famous code breakers from that era. William Tutte was a theoretical mathematician who died recently. He most recently was a retired professor at the University of Waterloo, and honorary director of their Center for Cryptographic Research. He

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-764906362002-05-13T03:24:00.000-07:002002-05-13T04:12:05.000-07:00

Castro Receives Carter Graciously Former president Jimmy Carter has arrived in Cuba, the highest ranking US official to visit Cuba in over 40 years, and his greeting from Castro was televised on Cuban TV. The podium was draped with American and Cuban flags, and a band played the "Star Spangled Banner." Castro had invited Carter to visit Cuba 14 years ago, when the two dignitaries met at the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-764550432002-05-12T02:20:00.000-07:002002-05-12T16:14:51.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Image Makeovers Kiwifruit's New Image Did you know that there were only 4 fruits and nuts domesticaled in the 20th century? Three were done in the US: avocados, macadamia nuts, and blueberries. The fourth one was done in New Zealand: kiwi. But now, for reasons related to trademarks, the kiwi in your grocery will start carrying the name Zespri. This is a fascinating story of

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-764421452002-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:002002-05-11T23:01:40.000-07:00

9/11 Photo Contest Winners Announced A picture is always worth a thousand words, but when there is an event like the attacks on 11 September, how can one picture begin to contain all of the words and thoughts and emotions that we all felt? Yet the National Press Photographers Association has done just that in their Attack on America contest. The Toronto Star's reporter-journalist Jim Rankin

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-763877262002-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:002002-05-10T00:02:36.000-07:00

Good-Bye To The X-Files I've been watching the last few shows with much anticipation, hoping that many of the loose ends will be tied up nicely. I liked the ending to Doggett's son's murder... ugly truth but we are left with the feeling that John is now ready to move on. I hate that Scully gave up her son. I loved the confirmation of Mulder's father, though. And I'm looking forward to seeing

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-763364612002-05-09T00:31:00.000-07:002002-05-09T01:38:18.000-07:00

Digital Creativity I've had my digital camera for a year now, and I must say, I find more and more uses for it all of the time. A few months back, I was talking on the phone with my mom, telling her about my lastest steals from either TJ Maxx or Marshalls, trying to describe it, when it occurs to me... I can take a picture and send it through email. Since that moment, I've emailed more photos

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-762963922002-05-08T00:15:00.000-07:002002-05-09T01:00:49.000-07:00

Today's Theme: It's Only Natural (au naturel) The Legend of The Khting Vor Mythical beast, folklore legend, reported sightings... it must be a Cambodian cousin to the Lock Ness monster or Bigfoot. Perhaps. But instead of questionable videotape, the evidence from this beast is a pair of horns. But no ordinary animal horns, these are ringed, and as it turns out, quite fake. To quote Richard

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-762541362002-05-07T00:27:00.000-07:002002-05-07T01:29:02.000-07:00

A New Meaning For Chinese Torture Remember the scene in Gattaca where Ethan Hawke's character undergoes surgery to make his legs longer so he is the same height as Jude Law's character? Think that was fantasy? It's not. Today, people in China are undergoing horrible Ilizarov procedure where braces allow them to turn a screw that moves a break in their shin bones further apart, adding height

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-762529952002-05-06T23:27:00.000-07:002002-05-07T00:35:49.000-07:00

Weird Weather, Earth Rumblings & Natural Disasters Continue Calgary, Canada receives a late spring snow storm, while people in west Texas are cleaning up after tornados ripped through towns, and flooding strikes in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. Lava has resumed flowing down Mexico's Colima volcano, indicating that an erruption could be coming. Forest fires are ravaging Colorado, the U

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-762023992002-05-05T18:40:00.000-07:002002-05-05T19:08:57.000-07:00

Totem Poles As a kid, I remember learning about totem poles, but I don't remember being very excited about them. All of that changed when I encountered my first real totem pole several years ago. Created by the Native peoples of the northwest coast of North America, totem poles are large, with incredibly stylized graphic designs of animals stacked on top of each other. Totem poles are usually

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-761481872002-05-04T00:32:00.000-07:002002-05-04T00:32:14.823-07:00

Saudi Arabian Fashion Police A new fatwa (ruling) says that abayas, the all black cloaks worn by women in Saudi Arabia, must be produced to the exact standards of the religious ruling, or they will be confiscated from their wearer and destroyed, along with a punishment for the women wearing them. Recently, the abaya was in the US news because of Lt. Col. Martha McSally, the highest ranking

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-761427812002-05-03T20:31:00.000-07:002002-05-03T23:07:05.000-07:00

Joint British/Spanish Rule For Gibraltar? Jack Straw is headed for Gibraltar with hopes to enourage its citizens to accept joint rulership after 300 years. [background] Angry Bees Everywhere In Mexico, a truck carrying 650 beehives crashed, releasing the angry bees into the air. Road blocks were set up to warn people not to open their car windows or drive fast and irritate the bees further.

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-760716792002-05-02T00:43:00.000-07:002002-05-02T00:57:56.000-07:00

Orgasmic Calculator One of the most fun things I've found online in a long time... a calculator with sound effects for each key, leading up to a big orgasmic sound when you total it up. Makes me wish I had more calculating to do! Australian Malpractice Insurance Problems Ebbing Fearing the collapse of their country's largest malpractice insurance agency, United Medical Protection, some

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-760635432002-05-01T19:32:00.000-07:002002-05-01T23:46:29.000-07:00

Call In Sick, Take A Vacation Day... ...While you read this article and consider what it means for your own life. Almost 8 years ago, I ended up taking 3 weeks of vacation. I had never been off work more than a week with two weekends (one on each end) so it was a revelation to me! It changed my life. Less than a year later, I checked out of corporate America, left my resume at the door, and

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-759955222002-04-30T03:01:00.000-07:002002-04-30T12:45:15.000-07:00

Today's Theme: Staying In Touch Police Pigeon Service Closing They survived the telephone and fax, but lost to e-mail. For over 50 years, police stations in Orissa, India have stayed in touch using carrier pigeons, and currently have 800 birds in the service. I hate to see low-tech solutions disappearing. Text Messaging Voting Tried in UK Text messaging has been used effectively in Europe by

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-759527182002-04-28T23:10:00.000-07:002002-04-30T02:41:47.000-07:00

Do You Have An Open Mind? I've been working in my office, away from my computer, and when I do this, I try to get caught up on radio shows that I've missed using streaming audio. I've been listening to Sean David Morton's latest interview from earlier this month, and I'm so taken aback by what I've been listening to that I want to share it with all of you. Sean is quite an interesting guy,

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-759190612002-04-28T00:06:00.000-07:002002-04-28T14:47:17.000-07:00

Most wonderful personal photograph collection... check it out! Iraq To Bid On Olympics In Baghdad For 2012 Saddam Hussein has authorized the construction of a two-tiered stadium that would be the centerpiece of its Olympic center, and specified that it be built according to British standards, and meet the FIFA soccer and IAAF athletics regulations. Many western construction companies are

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-759126972002-04-27T19:55:00.000-07:002002-04-27T21:12:57.000-07:00

I've Heard Of Ghost Towns... ...but never a town full of the dead. But then, I'd never heard of Colma, California. There are no cemeteries in San Franciso any more. More than 100 years ago, the city dug up all of the dead and moved them to their new home under Colma. Today, the town boasts of 1,500 residents above ground, and more than a million underground (I guess that is death humor)

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-758353832002-04-25T21:21:00.000-07:002002-04-25T22:05:33.000-07:00

TV Ads For Teeth Whitening Have you noticed all of the commercials these days for teeth whitening products? I was curious to see what the American Dental Association has to say about this subject. News/News">Man Seeks Companion For Movies, Writes Romantic Novels, ... Who would guess this is the beginning of a personal ad from Saddam Hussein? But that is part of the complex character of the

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-757587042002-04-23T23:17:00.000-07:002002-04-28T14:08:46.000-07:00

Oh My Gawd... I Feel So Neat Now When I work too much, my place gets messy, but never in my life have I had this kind of a mess to clean up. Right now, my office is the messy "catch all" room in my house. So let's just say that I'm glad that I don't have a web cam. It's cluttered, but not like this. This hurts my eyes just to look at it! This is the home of the winner of the Messiest

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-757298942002-04-23T08:26:00.000-07:002002-04-23T22:12:40.000-07:00

Change Your Skin A most unusual art exhibit allows visitors to see how their face would look at different ages and in different races. The Human Race Machine is currently part of the exhibition Seeing and Believing: The Art of Nancy Burson traveling to Grey Art Gallery (NYC), Blaffer Gallery (Houston) and Weatherspoon Art Gallery (Greensboro, North Carolina) among other destinations. It will

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-757050162002-04-22T16:20:00.000-07:002002-04-23T23:29:26.000-07:00

Canadians Upset Over Friendly Fire Accident Of course, that goes without saying. Here is a wide collection of articles on the topic. A recent poll says that nearly everyone in Canada wants the US to provide financial retribution for the casualties. It is unclear how this would come about, because of two US laws, the Foreign Claims Act and the Military Claims Act, that would prevent a country

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-756557522002-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:002002-04-21T11:44:17.630-07:00

Yahoo! Yodeler Sues It's called a contract. In 1996, Yahoo! entered into a contract with Wylie Gustafson to yodel, with the agreement that it would be used once on their first TV commercial. But as you know, Yahoo! continues to use Wylie's yodel outside of their contract without compensating him. Just one more reason not to like the Big Y. Wylie is the founder of Wylie and the Wild West, a

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-756437182002-04-21T00:12:00.000-07:002002-04-21T01:17:15.000-07:00

London Marathon's Slowest Competitor Ever How slow was he? It only took Lloyd Scott just over 5 days to finish the London Marathon, making his finish the slowest time ever recorded, and perhaps the only person to ever complete the race in an old fashioned diving suit. He was met at the end by Paula Radcliffe, the women's winner, who crossed the line nearly a week before him. It's his second

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-756375552002-04-20T19:51:00.000-07:002002-04-21T00:02:50.000-07:00

I'm a little annoyed with Blogger... it has lost everything I've posted since the McDonalds item. Whitewashing US History Every age writes its own history, and writes it in such a way that it appears heroic. Everyone is guilty of this. And now, Gary B. Nash of UCLA is asking the National Park Service to accurately tell the story of the Robert Morris house at their new Liberty Bell Center at

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-755591522002-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:002002-04-18T14:29:05.000-07:00

McDonalds Is Losing Money McDonalds, formerly considered a blue chip stock, is down to almost half of its all time high (in 1999) stock price, and is about to announce its' sixth straight quarterly loss. Say it isn't so! The largest restaurant chain on the planet plans to open only 300 new locations during this year in the US alone, and with 43% of the market, they aren't going away. But

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-755323282002-04-17T20:27:00.000-07:002002-04-17T20:58:31.000-07:00

Britian's Hiding Place Revealed Of course, we knew that America was not the first country to have an underground hiding place for its political leaders in times of turmoil. Now, visitors are being allows into Britian's WWII hiding place, where Winston Churchill and other members of the government would have hidden if necessary, codenamed "Paddock" that was even kept secret from the King. The US

C Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284390.post-755052332002-04-17T07:25:00.000-07:002002-04-17T20:14:58.000-07:00

Vanilla Coke In May Interesting to read about this in Australia, and interesting to see their perspective on the Cola Wars.

C Knoreply@blogger.com