:: Venting Insanity ::

:: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 ::

certitude is a thing of the past
Beware of Certitude

One question for all you touters for either side of the political spectrum...

Are you sure?

snapple "real fact" #234
Great Falls, Montana, is the windiest city in the U.S.

And here I always thought that was Chicago...

the polarization of america
Calling Bush a Liar

It just goes to show that, as soon as it's not their own, the parties rally around their campfires and start chanting insults. Let the mud slinging begin...

Wait, it has already. {{rolls eyes}}

snapple "real fact" #297
David Rice Atchison was President of the United States for only one day.

I swear, I didn't pick this one on purpose!!!

voting security at risk
Rights Groups Seek E-Vote System Source Code Access

Civil rights advocates are worried about security issues involved with a computerized voting system. Possible threats include malicious code, bugs, and system failures. Rights groups want the over 600 counties who purchased the systems to look into hiring independant security analysts to look over the source code to make sure they are secure and stable.

snapple "real fact" #329
The world's first escalator was built in Coney Island, NY, in 1896.

more security alerts
Pop-Up Program Snatches Banking Passwords

Will it ever stop? Probably not...

Apparently, the Browser Helper Object (BHO) in IE 4.x and up can be exploited to steal passwords and other valuable information from banking sites. The program, smoothly embedded inside an image file called "img1big.gif", detects the initialization of a secure connection using HTTPS and starts up the logging protocol, sending it back to its creator.

I'm not sure if this effects PayPal, but it does effect big banking sites like Citibank. This puts a big damper on the online banking industry, an industry run on security and convenience.

snapple "real fact" #257
The first food eaten in space by a U.S. astronaut was applesauce.

a new blogger joins the ranks?
Sun's Schwartz Ponders Blogging

Once he overcomes the issues of disclosure, Jonathan Schwartz, President and COO of Sun, is considering the idea of keeping a blog to keep the Java community updated on the latest developments and the evolution of Java.

When told of the possibility of Bill Gates keeping his own blog, Schwartz responded, "I'd love to see it."

snapple "real fact" #381
Baboons were once trained by Egyptians to wait on tables.

Now those are some smart monkeys... ~_^

new york times quote of the day

"We believe that to truly be in control of our affairs and our own future, we must be in control of the people we believe most responsible for so much of the suffering the Iraqi people endured over the past 35 years."

~Iyad Allawi, prime minister of Iraq.

snapple "real fact" #236
Cows give more milk when they listen to music.

If you were on a battlefield right now, versus everything...
Name
Gender	MaleFemaleAnimalUnsureRather Not Say
Age
Lover or a Fighter?
Fight for good or evil?	For GoodFor EvilFor Neither
Battle Cry
Weapon of Choice	Sledge Hammer
Appearance	Dressed in Full Samurai Armour, sneaking in on foot without being seen
Your Battle Cry...	Is a lethal weapon of its own
Foes slain upon first strike: - 61%
What you fight	Mytical Beasts
You fight....	For Yourself
This Quiz by Ferggs - Taken 12129 Times.

New - COOL Dating Tips and Romance Advice!

:: Monday, June 28, 2004 ::

what does he think we've been doing?
Kerry: Bush Should Push Allies to Help on Iraq

Um... right. Like we haven't been bugging people for help only to have them turn their backs on us. And people wonder why I sometimes have an isolationist attitude. History shows us that going out on that limb only hurts us in the end. Why do people always think that things will be different if they don't change their approach?

Of course, Kerry calling for support so that US troops can come home and so that the US doesn't have to bear the brunt of the cost is just plain rediculous. Does he honestly think the other countries are going to do that now? Put themselves in debt and send their own people into a dangerous situation just so that the US people can come home? Heck, whenever anything happens with a UN force or a NATO force, it's almost all US troops anyway. Why should things be different this time around?

And Kerry claims he has a better foreign policy. Well, what would that foreign policy be? I didn't see anything in that article saying what his ideas were. Does he plan to be like Clinton, crawling around on his hands and knees apologizing to everyone just so that they'll like us? Why do we always have to take the blame and responsibility... especially when we were trying to help out?

I don't think I'll ever understand that one.

snapple "real fact" #261
Playing in a marching band is considered moderate exercise.

Cool... and I was on the kickline... so that means it was more than moderate exercise. Unfortunately, I'm not in it anymore... <.<;;

it is done
U.S. Formally Hands Iraq Self-Rule Two Days Early

Surprise! They did it early. Smooth move on the part of the new Iraqi Prime Minister. Hopefully, this will lead to more steps of peace in the Middle East. Of course, only time will tell.

snapple "real fact" #351
Cold water weighs less than hot water.

success!!!
I have a working intranet site!!! Woohoo! Now to finalize the design and make the archives keyword searchable.

Wish me luck with that one. It means I'm going to have install a hack. Luckily, I have the site backed up as is in case something goes wrong during the hack install. Of course, I have to find one, first...

snapple "real fact" #361
The pineapple is a very big berry.

That's a big berry alright... O.O;