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Wild Cats in the city

I've always been fond of big cats, birds of prey and the like.

It's really cool though to watch a huge tiger running across buildings in a city.

Korean Grocery Store Special

Sometimes, I'll make fun of my people (read: Koreans). When I went Korean grocery shopping for my parents prior to Thanksgiving (granted, Thanksgiving is not a Korean holiday), I saw the sign below. At least the guy with the megaphone was prounouncing it as written.

Longest drive is ON!

According to the BBC, the previously mentioned longest drive is due to occur on Thanksgiving.

Tyurin's drive is expected to be one for the record books, though not everyone agrees on how long the ball will fly. Nasa figures it will fall into Earth's atmosphere and be incinerated within three days.

A little bit of DNC humor

Now that the Democrats have won Congress, here is a little bit of DNC Humor. Enjoy!

Just Released- Agenda for the Democratic National Convention for 2008:

7:00 P.M. Opening flag burning.
7:15 P.M. Pledge of allegiance to U.N.
7:30 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
7:30 till 8:00 P.M. Nonreligious prayer and worship. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton.
8:00 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:05 P.M. Ceremonial tree hugging.
8:15- 8:30 P.M. Gay Wedding-- Barney Frank Presiding.
8:30 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:35 P.M. Free Saddam Rally. Cindy Sheehan-- Susan Sarandon.
9:00 P.M. Keynote speech. The proper etiquette for surrender-- French President Jacques Chirac
9:15 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
9:20 P.M. Collection to benefit Osama Bin Laden kidney transplant fund
9:30 P.M. Unveiling of plan to free freedom fighters from Guantanamo Bay. Sean Penn
9:40 P.M. Why I hate the Military, A short talk by William Jefferson Clinton
9:45 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
9:50 P.M. Dan Rather presented Truth in Broadcasting award, presented by Michael Moore
9:55 P.M., Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
10:00 P.M. How George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld brought down the World Trade Center Towers-- Howard Dean
10:30 P.M. Nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Mahmud Ahnadinejad
11:00 P.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
11:05 P .M. Al Gore reinvents Internet
11:15 P.M. Our Troops are War criminals-- John Kerry
11:30 P.M. Coronation Of Mrs. Rodham Clinton
12:00 A.M. Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
12:05 A.M. Bill asks Ted to drive Hillary home

Ahhh Magic Shell

We all remember Magic Shell, where you pour some chocolate-ish syrup on your ice cream, and it hardens like a chocolate shell. Good stuff, I really can't complain even though it's not that good for you. Ironically, Magic Shell was allegedly developed by the U.S. Army and Industrial Light and Magic. Maybe...

Anyway, how many times have you been out walking your dog and find that oh...your dog has too drop a deuce. Convenient that you brought your Poop-Freeze! It's basically Magic Shell for pet poop so you can essentially shellac it so that it's petrified and you can pick it up with no bag, no gloves, no nothing!

Have fun with that!

What NOT to get your child

So you've got a daughter. With the holidays coming up, there are plenty of toys and Dora the Explorer gifts to get her. I would highly recommend against this one. Or any of these really.

Does Aquapets have a man or a woman actually working on their designs? Who didn't see this as something that might look a little "suggestive?" Seriously, is this something purposeful that the toy designers were talking one day, and said to each other, "Do you wanna see something hilarious? I'm going to make this toy that looks just like a ...."

Talk about phallic.

via.

Guess I owe Microsoft

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made comments recently that he believes that Linux infringes upon Microsoft's Intellectual Property.

Ballmer said Microsoft was motivated to sign a deal with SUSE Linux distributor Novell earlier this month because Linux "uses our intellectual property" and Microsoft wanted to "get the appropriate economic return for our shareholders from our innovation."

Doctor will support unwanted child

In Scotland, nearly one third of births were 'not planned' according to the BBC. While that is a fairly startling number to me, nothing could have prepared me for an article that I read yesterday.

In Germany, and gynecologist is supporting a child because of a failed contraceptive operation. A German court ruled that the doctor must pay 600 euros per month until the child reaches 18. The mother of the child was a teacher, and had to give up her job to care for the child.

I think that is crap. If you're on birth control, you know that there is still a chance that you get pregnant. It probably won't be long before these types of lawsuits start springing up in the US. And that would mean that OB/GYN medical liability insurance rates will go up even more (currently third highest behind neurosurgery and Cardiovascular surgery).

Take some responsibility people. If you don't want a baby, don't have sex, or be safer about it. Don't try to blame others for your mistakes.

Switch to Linux

Switch.

You've got salmonella in my chocolate!

Apparently, a Hershey chocolate plant in Canada has been contaminated with salmonella. There is no indication if any of the affected products made it into US circulation, but they are recalling a lot of their products.

The following is a list of all items being recalled:
Chocolate bars and confectionary:
Oh Henry! (62.5 g, 62.5 g four bar packs, and 145 g)
Oh Henry! Bites (130 g)
Oh Henry! Peanut Butter (60 g)
Reese Peanut Butter Cups (51 g, 68 g, and 51 g four bar packs)
Eat-more Dark Toffee Peanut Chew (56 g, 56 g four bar packs)
Lowney Bridge Mix (52 g and 340 g)
Lowney Cherry Blossom (45 g)
Glosette Peanuts (45 g)
Glosette Almonds (42 g)
Glosette Raisins (50 g and 145 g)
Hershey's Creamy Milk Chocolate with Almonds (43 grams)
Hershey's Creamy Milk Chocolate (45 g)
Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate (45 g)
Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds (43 g)
Hershey Assorted 16-count (728 g) and 50-count (2.5 kilograms)
Unbranded nut rolls (5 kilograms/bulk)
Hershey's chocolate shell topping (177 mililitres)

Affected chocolate chips include:
Chipits semi-sweet mint chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips (300 g)
Chipits milk chocolate chips (270 g)
Chipits mini chocolate chips (175 g, 300 g, 500 g, 10 kilograms/bulk)
Chipits chocolate chips (10 kilograms/bulk)
Hershey semi-sweet chocolate chips (300 g and 10 kilograms/bulk).

Na na na na na na na na na...BAT MAAAAAAAAN!

Scientists from the New College of Florida in Sarasota, FL have worked with Disney's Epcot Center dolphins and have managed to train them to sing the theme song to Batman. Not the recent ones that have been in theaters (with Michael Keaton, George Clooney, etc), but the old TV series starring Adam West.

True, it's not the entire theme song, but apparently the Bat Maaaaan part that comes after the na-na-nas.

The problem that I have with the article is that there is no sound file that we can listen to. If you find it, let me know.

Cute CGI (it is a tragedy)

A Kiwi finally takes flight!

I got an email from Ken Mehlman

Today, I got an email from the GOP. It's from Ken Mehlman, who is currently the chairman of the RNC. Anyway, I should be sending Mr. Mehlman an email thanking him.

Dear Charles,

Over the last two years, you and millions of others from across our great nation banded together to support our Party. I am well aware how much each and every one of you dedicated yourselves to this cause, and I know that yesterday's results included many disappointments. On behalf of the President and the Party, I thank you.

Some may wonder if the extraordinary efforts - walking door-to-door, making calls, registering new voters, volunteering at headquarters, stuffing envelopes - were worth it. I want to tell you something I believe with all of my heart: you made an important difference. Our Party and our cause were worth the effort in 2006. Your hard work and dedication helped us retain many seats and will pay dividends in 2007 and beyond.

Our messages of expanding freedom at home and defending freedom abroad persist as the right answers for our nation. Indeed, many of the Democrats who won yesterday embraced our platform and our values. Last night, however, the voters sent a message, and we need to make sure we receive that message loud and clear. We need to recommit ourselves to conservative reform. Our leaders must work to provide bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our country, and demonstrate the highest standards that our Party expects and the nation deserves.

Going into the 2006 cycle, we knew that we faced an enormous challenge. The party of the incumbent President typically loses 29 House seats and three Senate seats during the second midterm. Since World War II, this average loss is even higher. And in wartime, midterm losses are equally high.

So we faced an historic challenge - and we were not able to overcome it yesterday. But adversity is no excuse.

Our party is built on ideas and values that transcend any one election. The principles of Lincoln and Reagan remain alive and well in the policies of our President, and will persist in the face of a loyal Democratic opposition, as they did throughout the Gipper's two terms. We will recruit a new generation of candidates, continue to improve our party's operations, bring new faces and voices into our party, and reengage in the battle for our countrymen's hearts and minds, stronger than ever. Our leaders will redouble their efforts to enact a conservative agenda and make us proud.

Your commitment is about more than politics. It is about more than Party. It is about our philosophy, our nation, and our future. And that is why your involvement over the last two years was so important ... and your involvement over the next 727 days is even more so.

So please accept the thanks of a grateful President and a grateful party. It's time to regroup. And then let's get back to work.

Sincerely,

Ken Mehlman
Chairman, Republican National Committee

Democrats successful in '06

House of Representatives: check

Senate: check

Governors: check

Rumsfeld out too?!?!? It's like Christmas!

Na na na na.... Good Bye

Peace out Rumsfeld. Pour one out for your homies.

Blonde joke

A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a woman police officer who was also a blonde.

The blonde cop asked to see the blonde driver's license.

She dug through her purse and was getting progressively more agitated.

"What does it look like?" she finally asked.

The policewoman replied, "It's square and it has your picture on it."

The driver finally found a square mirror in her purse, looked at it and handed it to the policewoman.

"Here it is," she said.

The blonde officer looked at the mirror, then handed it back saying, "Okay, you can go. I didn't realize you were a cop."

Get out there and vote

From a friend Karl:

Please forward this email on to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers…

I realize that some of you may be Republicans… if that is the case I hope you'll vote too (though I'm hoping the Democrats win big-time.) If we're to live in a democracy we must all take part -- so get your friends out there too. At the end of the day however, I hope you are as fed up with the mess in Washington as I and many of my Republican friends are and you'll vote for change today.

Today most people will simply vote and go home.

That's not enough. Whether you're voting today or you've voted early or absentee already, what you do today could determine the outcome of this election. The power is in your hands. The conversations you have today, the extra few minutes you take to bring someone who might not otherwise vote with you to the polls, the follow-up with your friends, family and neighbors to make sure they have voted -- all of it will multiply the power of your single vote.

IMPORTANT LINKS FOR TODAY

Find Your Polling Place:
http://www.democrats.org/pollingplace

Last Minute Volunteers:
http://www.democrats.org/volunteer/call

The Democratic Agenda:
http://www.democrats.org/agenda

Voter Protection Information:
http://www.democrats.org/voterprotection

There's another thing I want you to be aware of as you and your neighbors head to the polls today. There have already been widespread reports of voter suppression efforts by Republican operatives, ranging from apparently legal harassment of Democratic voters to potentially illegal efforts to keep voters away from the voting booth. This isn't new for Republicans. It's a cynical art that the GOP machine has refined for years, and each election brings new variations on old tactics that target minorities and minority-heavy urban areas.

YOUR RIGHTS AT THE POLLING PLACE

1) If you're a registered voter, do not leave your polling location without voting. Every registered voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

2) If you're in line before the poll's closing time, you are entitled to vote.

3) You're entitled to view a sample ballot at the polling place before voting.

4) If you experience any problems voting or observe any irregularities, immediately call 1-888-DEM-VOTE to report the incident. In addition to providing your polling place information, by calling 1-888-DEM-VOTE you can record a complaint or speak with an election protection monitor. The line is available in English and Spanish. You can also report any voting irregularities or problems online:

http://www.democrats.org/voterprotection/report

Democrats are committed to ensuring that every rightful voter has the freedom to cast his or her ballot free from intimidation or undue burden, and the've deployed voter protection teams across the country to make sure that's possible today.

Right now you still have the opportunity to do something about this election. Please take that opportunity while you can.

Thank you.

- Karl

P.S. Please post this message on your Friendster, MySpace, Facebook accounts to help spread the word, then email it to everyone you know. It's time for change.

(Text of this email shamelessly stolen in large part from the DNC.)

A fun little webgame

Guess The Logo is a quick fun web game that pits your memory against time. Basically, the screen shows variants on popular web logos, and you get to pick which one is actually the real logo. It's not quite as easy as you think. I scored 39.85% but my browser was pretty bogged down. My time was something like 1:48.

How did you do?

Just a nice thought

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Guest cat blogging

Hello, my name is Don Gato, I like to play the rubber bands.

Then I bite the rubberband.

Make sure to check out The Friday Ark and the Sunday Carnival of the Cats right after the Saturday Carnival this time, from France!

Don't you wish Obama was black like me?

Stanley Crouch recently wrote a piece about how if Barack Obama gets the 2008 Presidential nod, that the US will have to think about the "difference between color and ethnic identity."

He points out that Obama's mother is caucasian and his father is a black Kenyan. Crouch also points out that Obama does not share the same heritage as many black Americans who are descendants of plantation slaves.

This is an interesting distinction although it should not necessarily be a deciding factor during an election. Or should it? The fact is that all politicians are elected in order to represent people. The votes are influenced by which groups and races view the candidate's ability to identify with their heritage. On a cursory level, many would say that Obama is black and may assume that he is a descendant of black slaves. Maybe that will work for him, maybe not. I don't have too much faith in US voters on the whole.

Interracial marriages are becoming quite common nowadays, and is evident even in a senatorial race in my back yard. Jim Webb's wife is Asian, and she's recently begun to take the stage speaking out against George Allen for attacking her husband.

Then there are people like Tiger Woods and his wife, but he's not an elected official. Who do you think he identifies with?

Design the mall!

The National Park Service has announced a major initiative to revamp the National Mall here in DC.

The NPS has even set up a website for suggestions, and encourage all Americans to give input to the project. I personally would like the fields to remain so that we can play softball on them.

We have a new AXIS of evil folks!

Well, not necessarily us, but the Guardian reports that the according to an international survey of public opinion, the world leader that poses a danger to world peace is (drumroll) Osama bin Laden. Not all too surprising. Coming in second, and right in front of third place Kim Jong-Il, is our very own President George W. Bush.

Please don't forget to vote on Tuesday. For real though.

Won a Halloween costume contest last night

Last night, I won a Halloween costume contest for my big ass chef costume.

Here are all three winners. Me (1st place), Angela (2nd place) and O.G. (3rd place).

Oh yeah, and here's my celebratory dance!

P.C. Phone Home

I was searching for a good E.T. picture to Photoshop for an email thread that I'm on, and I ran across this P.C. case. That itself is mildly amusing, but the real irony is that the person using said P.C.

Tell me that doesn't look like my friend Ji.