SOPA and PIPA - Let's Try and Stop Them Before They Stop Us: Now Updated

Go here read this.

Thank you.

*****
UPDATE: This just in: a NSFW explanation of SOPA and PIPA by the Oatmeal.  I think this covers it.

I drew a Goat...

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 09:32 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 45 words, total size 1 kb.

Map It

One man, two years... an award winning map.

The Greatest Paper Map of the United States You’ll Ever See

I think I'll have to order one of these.  It's very cool! 

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 10:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

The Anniversary

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of a day we will never forget, but always wish had never happened.

There are people we do not want to forget. 

All these years later it is still heart wrenching and brutally painful. 

As I did all those years ago, I'm going to give the "media" a pass. I will be avoiding tv, the internet, radio, any media that will be continually reliving those minutes. 

I don't need to relive that day.  I never forgot.  I don't think it's possible to forget.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 06:08 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 90 words, total size 1 kb.

A Riotous Time Was Had By All

Observations on the riots in England.

-- Someone was bound to be caught flatfooted (so to speak) by the advances in communications technology. It happened to be England.  It was quite evident that they were unprepared for mobs that sent out messages to each other to decoy and out maneuver the  police. For that matter they didn't look prepared for any kind of riot at all. Even a small one.

-- It's been quite a few years since we've had significant rioting in the US and the more recent examples have been contained not spreading all over the city where they are happening.   Of course we also have not yet disarmed our police.  I'm sure this plays a role.

-- England should bring in Richie Daley - the recently retired mayor of Chicago. He's not doing anything right now and he would certainly be able to give them the low-down on stopping these things before they start.  I've been in downtown Chicago during a minor demonstration by some whacko group or other. You couldn't go 2 feet without walking smack into a group of cops. Cops everywhere.  With neon glow vests to mark them out and I'm sure there were unseen cops hanging around too.

-- If there is any police chief of a major metro area in the US who has not got a plan in place for dealing with modern technology in mob rioting - that person should be fired immediately.

-- For everyone's sake, I hope they have finally gotten things under control.  It's quite awful to watch the thugs running rampant in those videos and the police being backed down the street. 

BTW - that Theresa May character should be long gone.  But that's just my opinion - I suppose if she keeps busy enough to avoid meeting anyone, they'll just forget she's there until the next riot.
 

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 10:46 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 319 words, total size 2 kb.

Best Laugh of the Day

While I find the entire Juan Williams/NPR debacle uproariously funny... here's what really made me laugh....

Juan Williams calls for the government to defund NPR

Really Juan?  Seriously? 

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 03:47 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 33 words, total size 1 kb.

The Rescue

UPDATE 2: Everyone is out!  The President and his wife stayed until the last rescuer was back on top and the President closed the lid on the shaft.  Wow!  What an incredible 24+ hours. 

UPDATE: All the miners are out, now the rescuers are being brought out. Once they are all on the surface we can say - what a wonderful ending to a very bad situation.  We can't say that very often.

***

I'm peeking in periodically to the Fox News live feed of the rescue of the Chilean miners.  The best part of the Fox coverage - no talking by idiot news people.   It's a live feed only with sound.  I listened to the BBC feed for about 20 minutes last night and the blathering reporter about drove me up the wall.

I am very impressed, not only with the crews doing the rescue, but also the fact that the President and First Lady are there to greet every miner!   They are taking plenty of time to talk to all the family members and help them through the last few minutes of waiting.  They could have taken the easy way out, waited until the rescue was over and then brought all the miners to their place for a dinner or something.  They didn't and I find that tremendously  impressive. 

Of course I haven't watched the entire thing and maybe I missed something, but from what I've seen, everyone involved in the rescue has been simply amazing.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 03:26 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 250 words, total size 1 kb.

The Answer Is "None of Them"

I ran across this ridiculous story today.

Most Americans would rather be neighbors with President Obama's family than any other celebrity, according to an online survey.

Then most Americans are idiots (or at least the ones answering the survey questions are idiots).  There is not a single celebrity out there that I want to have as a neighbor at any point in time.

For that matter all those celebs should be clamoring to become my neighbor because I could give a rats ass who they are. 

As for this guy...

"Personally, I'd go for some hot babe, for sure," says Bill Grimshaw, the guy who actually does live next door to the Obamas' Chicago mansion. "But the prestige of living next to the president is wonderful. And the main thing is the security. I don't lock my doors any more."

I give it a couple of weeks before he is robbed. 

Of course he's also trying to sell his house.  So far no takers.  I guess it doesn't look so good to have the house next door to the President's up for sale for ages and ages. 

What... no ultra rich libs want to rub elbows with the Obamas?  I'm shocked. 

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 04:01 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 207 words, total size 1 kb.

Patches and Headlines...

First off - Microsoft released some "out of band" patches - not on their regular cycle of first Tuesday of the month. This is because Blackhat is meeting this week and revealing a vulnerability. Sooooo... if you have not patched your system yet - please do so immediately. Thank you!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog post.

****

Because I've been so busy I can think of nothing else to blog, here are your headlines.

***
Whereabouts of Jackson's Body Remain Unclear

Well of course. What else could it be.

***

911 caller in Gates case says she's glad truth is out

Lesson 1: if the perps are black - do not mention this under any circumstances, even to describe the suspects to police.

Lesson 2: the news media will make up their facts to fit the story narrative

Lesson 3: people from Cambridge can't bring themselves to criticize the media even when said media makes up a story nearly ruining a life.  Amazing. 

***

Yahoo and Microsoft joining forces on search

Question: Will you get results if you search for "the meaning of life, the universe, and the blue screen of death?"

***

Under the heading of DUH!

'Organic' May Not Mean Healthier

***

Photograph: swallow flies through two-inch gap at 35 miles per hour

Guess that answers the question...



***

If you will excuse me, I'm going to watch more Monty Python clips on youtube.  Because I can.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 08:43 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 246 words, total size 2 kb.

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope everyone has a spectacular day. 

Take a moment to remember the military and their families who keep this country free. 

Enjoy the fireworks and wonderful food.  It's a day to celebrate.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 10:37 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 36 words, total size 1 kb.

It's Time for Headlines!

This is a periodic feature we present to keep you up to date on the latest news.

Let's start with this:

Obama proposes new wireless spectrum fee

Because you aren't paying enough for your cellphone usage! No my dears, you are meant to subsidize the President's plan to pay off those who voted for him (people with no money) and Chris Matthews so he keeps that thrill going up his leg. You fat cat you! Fork over! (the first person who tells me it's the wireless carriers who have to pay and not the cellphone users will be zapped into the ethernet and never be heard from again)

****

Hole-by-hole recap of Tiger's 2nd-round match

Because it's imperative that we KNOW every single nuance and move this man made while playing golf. I'm not sure why mind you - but we MUST know this. There will be a test!

****

$7,000 in Stolen Jewelry Found in Cheetos Bag

And you thought it was only extra calories.  That will teach you to try and ignore snack bags.

****

Hack An iPhone, Win $10,000

Just in case you're looking for a bit of extra cash to pay off Obama...

****

Google Takes Credibility Hit With Gmail Outage

Good heavens!!!  A 2.5 hour outage!!! That NEVER happens with other email servi.... I mean... Microsoft exchange never ever goes do... I mean all other email services are completely problem fre...
er... never mind.

****

Last of all... can someone please tell me what the hell the First Lady is wearing? 



In other news: The Salvation Army is looking for looters who raided the women's department of their downtown storefront in Washington DC...

****

And now you are informed.  Don't you feel smarter already.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 09:02 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 293 words, total size 2 kb.

Gadzooks!

I have a post I want to write - whether I will or not I don't know (they don't generally last for long in my head).  But I just can't type anymore, so hopefully I can get it posted tomorrow.

No I haven't started it. If I had, I'd either post it or delete it.  I'm not good at saving stuff for later. 

We shall see.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 67 words, total size 1 kb.

Pirates! What Do We Do!

They're here, there, and everywhere lately.

Pirates attack French vessel off Nigerian coast

and

EU Forces Foil Pirate Attacks Near Somalia

and

Piracy raises pressure for new international tack on Somalia

The headlines could go on for pages.

So what to do? Well, listen to a little history and be inspired.

About a 20 minute podcast with the pirate removal coming a little more than half way through - sit back with a good beverage.***

***Okay so it was a fun way to share the podcast... enjoy. Go back and start listening to the series. It's great.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 08:45 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 102 words, total size 1 kb.

Oh This Will Be Fun

Jerry has a video up that is hilarious.  Go watch then come read the rest.

Of course this will get to be a bit long - so the rest is below the fold.

more...

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 01:17 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 1173 words, total size 7 kb.

The Cleavers Are Back

Yes folks, the news media and the liberal left has taken a big step backward. Directly back to the 1950's.  The coverage of the current Presidential race over the last few days has been horrifyingly hilarious.

Apparently there is nothing else going on in the world except for a single teen pregnancy and one child with Down Syndrome.  Who knew!!! 

Even more hilarious, who knew that these progressive people, when actually faced with the results of their concerted efforts over the last 40 years to elevate the status of women, would immediately revert back to treating women the way their grandfathers did.  It's the funniest thing I've ever seen.   

If you stopped to ask the press... "Why aren't you asking Sarah Palin what she thinks about the situation in Russia and what Putin is doing over there?"  I'm sure you'd get a big...

*Bou Blink*

Then they'd say... "Russia?  Putin?  Oh is Putin pregnant?  Or do you think he's the father of one of these babies?"

There is far more to running this country than skin color, gender, or even whether or not a single family handles a teen pregnancy the way you think they should.  I am exhausted by this rumor mill and all the sudden "experts" in child care who don't know any actual facts about the situation, but feel called upon to give their absolute statement on how everything should be handled.

There is an entire country to run.  Could someone please talk to the candidates about something like... oh - the economy or even al Qaeda.  You know, those minor little things that are rather boring, but will have more of an impact on my life than whether Bristol Palin gets married and has a baby or how the Palin family plans to raise Trig properly. 

I'm just sayin'...

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 10:24 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 307 words, total size 2 kb.

I Am Now Going to Offend A Large Number Of People

Because I am going to write in generalities. Something that I know is wrong, but quite honestly, after reading this article I simply can NOT help it. (I know this does not apply to all parents - even parents who hire help... but this article cries out for fisking... and I'm betting this becomes a trend making parents who can't afford such things feel as if they're shortchanging their kids)

When Meredith White was expecting her first son, nothing terrified her quite like a visit to Babies "R" Us. Aisle after dizzying aisle of baby paraphernalia beckoned, with dozens of varieties of bottles, nipples, wipes (and their warmers), pacifiers, cribs, strollers, and bibs. She did not want to buy anything without first assessing safety, usefulness, and developmental appropriateness. The analysis led the 34-year-old lawyer to a state verging on despair.

I'm sorry, but if you are going to be a parent, and you can't even figure out what basics to get for the baby before it hatches, you haven't got a chance in hell of getting through childhood. 

You get 9 months - NINE entire months to buy out the stores before your first kid(s) come out kicking and screaming.  After that you're gonna have to make decisions quick - without the luxury of consultation time. 

Cue the Baby Coordinators, the latest entry in the burgeoning "baby planning" field that helps expectant parents prepare for a new baby by advising on everything from the most absorbent diapers and sleekest strollers to decorating a nursery and readying a pet.

Perfection seems to be the goal here.  And anyone who has raised children knows that it is impossible to have perfection in child rearing.  If you think you can do it - you set yourself and your child up for major failure.  There is no "perfect" with kids. None.  Every family has to figure out what works best for them.  There are no perfect products.  There will be good and bad, expensive and cheap, successes and failures. Most of all there is LUCK.  Luck for the parent and for the kid. Babies need food, clothing, shelter, and snuggling.  Everything else is fluff. 

"Being someone who hasn't really been around babies or kid products, I just didn't know what to choose," Carines said, whose family is in South Carolina. "I was overwhelmed by the little things - which toys to buy, which are developmentally helpful."

OMG - so instead of trying to figure it out, she hires someone to tell her how to do it! Instead of giving it a shot and maybe making a *gasp* mistake! she farms out the responsibility.  What is she going to do when her kid gets to be 2 years old and is defiant?  Hire someone else to come in and tell her how to say "NO"?  (I also hate to tell her that no matter how many "developmentally" wonderful toys she buys, they will very likely remain untouched as the kid goes after the box instead)

If you are a parent, you WILL make mistakes.  All parents make mistakes... ALL.OF.THEM.  Usually at the worst possible times.  Kids even learn from their parent's mistakes.  They find out life isn't perfect or fair.  They learn to adapt to situations that aren't quite right and they even thrive.  Amazing.

It's hard to raise a child.  Going to someone else and saying that you need help so everything will be as "perfect as possible" does not make things easier.  It's like cheating on a test in school.  You may get 100% on that test, but later, when you need those things you didn't learn, that's when you'll really fail.  And it will be spectacular.  Sadly, the one who will end up on the short end of that stick will be the kid. 

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 10:16 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 643 words, total size 4 kb.

I Want To Be Like Her!

Gun-toting 85-year-old stops thief

"I saw him move by my keyboard near the wall but I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun," Smith said, noting that she started keeping the .22-caliber revolver by her bed after a burglary at a neighboring home several weeks ago.

Way to go Leda Smith!!!  (there's a picture of her at the link - for as long as the link works).  That's called keeping your cool and using your head.  Excellent.

And I do so love this reaction when it was all over:

"It was exciting," Smith said of the incident. "I just hope I broke up the ring because they have been hitting a lot of places around here."

What a woman!  Yeah, I do want to be like her when I'm 85.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 12:49 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 142 words, total size 1 kb.

Has Anyone Noticed?

I haven't seen any accolades in the news or anyone trumpeting this - but the price per gallon on the gas I buy has, as of today, dropped 40 cents a gallon from the high about a month ago.

*crickets chirping*

No, I haven't heard anything proclaiming this good news.  I wonder why.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 12:16 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
Post contains 56 words, total size 1 kb.

Now That's A Patriot!

I just ran across this

SAMARITAN THIEF ALERTS COPS TO 'TERROR' VAN

At about 5 p.m. yesterday, an unidentified thief with a police record broke into a red van that had been parked at 53rd Street and Second Avenue in Brooklyn's Sunset Park for about a month, a source told The Post.

He was stunned when he looked inside - it was filled with gas cans and Styrofoam cups containing a mysterious white substance with protruding wires and switches.

He moved it and called the cops.  Read the rest.

The life he saved may have been the Wiseass Joo-ette  so Thelma and Joo-ese will have a chance to ride again.  Thank heaven! 

He might be a thief, but he is a true Patriot.

hat tip Instapundit.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 11:22 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 130 words, total size 1 kb.

I Was Right

But who knew it would be confirmed so soon.

I'm so busy today I feel like I'm drowning... so post-blog meet post won't be up until tomorrow. *sigh*

In the meantime - I blogged here a few weeks ago about passport security.

What if they have an unknown affiliation with "bad guys"? How easy is it for the "bad guys" to get them to tap into certain records and pick up or even change information?

Today via Instapundit comes this headline:

Passport official quits amid probes

Court documents show a State Department employee provided personal information from passport applications for use in a credit-card fraud scheme.

Sadly this would never have come to light if someone hadn't been caught looking at "high profile" passport information.   I'm not surprised but one has to wonder how much information has already been accessed and sold.  Not to mention - is there any way to figure it out?

In this case I don't like being right.  I would rather have people thinking I was wrong and incredibly ultra paranoid. 

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 11:37 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 178 words, total size 1 kb.

1 I think very much like you do, and often wonder if anyone in national levels of law enforcement and anti-terrorism departments in our country is thinking of this stuff WAY ahead of time as well. I hope so, but sometimes I wonder if they are. God I truly hope and pray that they are.

Posted by: dogette at April 07, 2008 03:52 PM (q/UVc)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Go Go Grandma!

83-year-old woman foils purse snatcher

Bernie Garcia is my hero!

Since I know this story will disappear after about a week - here are the salient points:

Bernie Garcia said a young man approached her at a gas station as she was buying fuel for her van and asked for money. When she told him she had spent all her spare change on gas, he tried to grab her purse.

"But I had it wrapped around my wrist twice," Garcia said, and he was unable to pull it away.

She fought back, spraying his shirt with some gasoline. Both of them kept hold of the purse, and he pulled her to the ground and dragged her a short distance until another man confronted him.

You go girl!

Her son, a former firefighter, checked her out and found no broken bones.

"My son said, `Why didn't you just give (the purse) up?'" Garcia said. "`Hell no,' I told him. That was my purse. I was fighting for what was mine."

Bernie Garcia is a fighter.  I would be willing to bet she's fought quite a bit in her life to get where she is now.  People like that don't just "give up".  It's part of who they are.  Yeah, I want to be a fighter like Bernie when I'm that age.

Posted by: Teresa in Current Affairs at 12:21 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 223 words, total size 1 kb.