steconews

Why We Need Government-Run Universal Socialized Health Insurance

2009-08-30T22:38:00.001-05:00

Dick Cheney needs to shut up.

2009-08-30T22:16:00.004-05:00

His entire administration was politically motivated..

Cheney: Interrogation probe is political
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the Justice Department's decision to review waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques is politically motivated

It's about time Obama started cleaning house. It feels good. The only time we hear from Cheney is when his crap starts getting stirred up. Sorry for the mess you made Dick. Now go away already

5 Myths About Health Care Around the World

2009-08-30T22:15:00.003-05:00

Excellent article in the Washington Post exposing 5 myths about health care.

As Americans search for the cure to what ails our health-care system, we've overlooked an invaluable source of ideas and solutions: the rest of the world. All the other industrialized democracies have faced problems like ours, yet they've found ways to cover everybody -- and still spend far less than we do.

Read it Via Washington Post
To all those satisfied with the current system I ask . How is that the US spends more per capita on health care than any other country in the world and yet is ranked 50th in life expectancy?

How it all ends

2009-02-04T01:19:00.000-05:00

Radio Station Prank Calls Sarah Palin

2008-11-02T16:34:00.002-05:00

Hilarity ensues: watch it.

Brokers with Hands on their Faces

2008-10-26T01:58:00.001-05:00

Nothing but Brokers with their hands on their faces
Thanks Digthepast

upside down dogs

2008-10-26T01:51:00.001-05:00

nothing but upside down dogs

smear campaign

2008-10-26T00:57:00.002-05:00

Palin's 'going rogue,' McCain aide says

2008-10-26T00:14:00.001-05:00

With 10 days until Election Day, long-brewing tensions between GOP vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin and key aides to Sen. John McCain have become so intense, they are spilling out in public, sources say.

Several McCain advisers have suggested to CNN that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin "going rogue."

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

Terry TateOffice Line Backer: Reading Is Fundamental

2008-10-26T00:12:00.001-05:00

You only think you've seen it before.. Great ending, watch it.

Palin As President

2008-10-26T00:08:00.004-05:00

Fun flash site

Go visit Sarah Palin as President
Thanks Dog Girl, egs and ellcap

Opie for Obama

2008-10-26T00:04:00.001-05:00

Who You Calling Maverick?

2008-10-08T01:17:00.003-05:00

Samuel Augustus Maverick

The New York Times reports that the real Mavericks don't like McCain/Palin using their name:

But to those who know the history of the word, applying it to Mr. McCain is a bit of a stretch — and to one Texas family in particular it is even a bit offensive.

“I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,” said Terrellita Maverick, 82, a San Antonio native who proudly carries the name of a family that has been known for its progressive politics since the 1600s, when an early ancestor in Boston got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights of indentured servants.

In the 1800s, Samuel Augustus Maverick went to Texas and became known for not branding his cattle. He was more interested in keeping track of the land he owned than the livestock on it, Ms. Maverick said; unbranded cattle, then, were called “Maverick’s.” The name came to mean anyone who didn’t bear another’s brand.

“It’s just incredible — the nerve! — to suggest that he’s not part of that Republican herd. Every time we hear it, all my children and I and all my family shrink a little and say, ‘Oh, my God, he said it again.’ ”

“He’s a Republican,” she said. “He’s branded.”

Thanks DogGirl

John McCain vs. John McCain

2008-10-07T23:37:00.000-05:00

John McCain Debates Himself on Supporting Bush

2008-10-07T23:27:00.002-05:00

Fox News's Bernard Godlberg says: Palin is out of her league

2008-09-29T01:04:00.002-05:00

Israelis for Obama

2008-09-28T01:35:00.000-05:00

Who is Sarah Palin?

2008-09-28T01:34:00.000-05:00

Sarah Palin Embarrasses herself With Katie Couric

2008-09-27T01:40:00.000-05:00

Katie Couric talks with Gov. Sarah Palin about her foreign policy experience and Alaska's proximity to Russia.

Republican columnists unhappy with Sarah Palin

2008-09-27T01:39:00.002-05:00

Republican Collumnists unhappy with Sarah Palin, to put it mildly.

In August David Frum writes: Palin the irresponsible choice?

But the selection of Sarah Palin invites the question: How serious can he be if he would place such a neophyte second in line to the presidency? Barack Obama at least balanced his inexperience with Mr. Biden's experience. What is Mr. McCain doing?

In September George Will wrote: Impulse, Meet Experience

But is there any evidence that she has thought about such matters? McCain's selection of her is applied McCainism -- a visceral judgment by one who is confidently righteous. But the viscera are not the seat of wisdom.

Then David Brooks wrote:

She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness

.

After Palin's interview with Charles Gibson followed by her appearance with Katie Couric, Katleen Parker Writes: Palin Problem, Shes Out of her League

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

Watch a clip of Palin's interview with Couric and see what you think.

John McCain's ads are LIES. Here's the video proof.

2008-09-11T20:16:00.002-05:00

Bonus links: FactCheck.org: McCain-Palin Distorts Our Finding
Those attacks on Palin that we debunked didn't come from Obama.

Sarah Palin Loves earmarks

2008-09-11T20:11:00.002-05:00

Bonus link: McCain criticized Wasilla earmarks in 2001 via CNN

Palin billed Alaskan taxpayers for nights she spent at home

2008-09-11T20:03:00.002-05:00

The governor charged a per diem allowance meant to cover meals while traveling on state business. Her daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel.

ANCHORAGE -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a per diem allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. Her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

This makes her a maverick I guess.
Read more on Palin gets paid for staying home via Los Angeles Times

Sarah Palin, Speaking in tongues

2008-09-11T19:54:00.002-05:00

Pastor: GOP may be downplaying Palin's religious beliefs
For more than two decades, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a practicing Pentecostal.
Gov. Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin asked church members to pray for $30 billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska.

She belonged to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. But though she attended the church from her teenage years to 2002, the Alaska governor hasn't talked much about her religion since joining the Republican ticket.

Palin's former pastor, Tim McGraw, says that like many Pentecostal churches, some members speak in tongues, although he says he's never seen Palin do so. Church member Caroline Spangler told CNN, "When the spirit comes on you, you utter things that nobody else can understand ... only God can understand what is coming out of our mouths."

Some Pentecostals from Assembly of God also believe in "faith healing" and the "end times" -- a violent upheaval that they believe will deliver Jesus Christ's second coming.

Read more on Fundamentalist Sarah Palin via CNN
Bonus link: Judge warned Palin in 2005 to back off brother-in-law's job. via CNN

Elect Obama, and Lower your Taxes

2008-09-11T19:48:00.005-05:00

Obama and McCain Tax Proposals
According to a new analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are both proposing tax plans that would result in cuts for most American families. Obama's plan gives the biggest cuts to those who make the least, while McCain would give the largest cuts to the very wealthy. For the approximately 147,000 families that make up the top 0.1 percent of the income scale, the difference between the two plans is stark. While McCain offers a $269,364 tax cut, Obama would raise their taxes, on average, by $701,885 - a difference of nearly $1 million.

Read the article, Elect Obama, and Lower your Taxes see the chart

Bonus link : How much will you save under Obama's tax plan

Cindy McCain's $300,000 Outfit

2008-09-11T19:41:00.002-05:00

One of the persistent memes in the Republican line of attack against Barack Obama is the notion that he is an elitist, whereas the G.O.P. represent real working Americans like Levi “F-in’ Redneck” Johnston.

Laura Bush
Oscar de la Renta suit: $2,500
Stuart Weitzman heels: $325
Pearl stud earrings: $600–$1,500
Total: Between $3,425 and $4,325

Cindy McCain
Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000
Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500
Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000
Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000–$25,000
Shoes, designer unknown: $600
Total: Between $299,100 and $313,100

read more on Cindy McCain's elitist dress via Vanity Fair

Sarah Palin is George Bush in Lipstick

2008-09-08T00:53:00.004-05:00

A core Democratic talking point against Sarah Palin is beginning to take shape: she is, critics say, the female counterpart of the current President of the United States, not only in terms of policy and social conservatism, but even personality.

"She's not a pitbull in lipstick," said one female Democratic operative, referencing a line from Palin's convention speech. "She's George Bush in lipstick."

From her hard-right stances on abortion and contraception and the deep affection she engenders from conservative evangelical leaders, to her involvement in a possible "abuse of power" scandal in Alaska and even her charming demeanor, some see in Palin the second coming of the 43rd president.

Read more about George Bush in Lipstick Via Huffington Post

Sarah Palin: For the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it.

2008-09-08T00:29:00.005-05:00

She even got the T-shirt.

"I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," Palin told the cheering McCain crowd, referring to Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge.

But Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it.

The Alaska governor campaigned in 2006 on a build-the-bridge platform, telling Ketchikan residents she felt their pain when politicians called them "nowhere." They're still feeling pain today in Ketchikan, over Palin's subsequent decision to use the bridge funds for other projects -- and over the timing of her announcement, which they say came in a pre-dawn press release that seemed aimed at national news deadlines.

In September, 2006, Palin showed up in Ketchikan on her gubernatorial campaign and said the bridge was essential for the town's prosperity

"We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative," Palin said.

She eventually did say no to the bridge, but kept the $227 million anyway.

Via Anchorage Daily News

John McCain: Reformed Maverick

2008-09-06T14:07:00.002-05:00

Bush/McCain Acceptance speech

2008-09-06T14:01:00.004-05:00

Surely, the change John McCain wants to bring to Washington is different than the change George W. Bush wanted to bring

Daily Show : Republicans before and after Palin

2008-09-04T21:36:00.003-05:00

Republicans criticizing the treatment of Sarah Palin. It's the same treatment they were giving the Left. OOPS! Jon Stewart has the video

Cindy McCain parts with Palin on abortion, sex ed

2008-09-04T18:17:00.001-05:00

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The wife of Republican presidential nominee John McCain doesn't agree with vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Cindy McCain also parts ways with her husband's running mate on sex education.

Palin opposes abortion and rejects the view that pregnancies caused by rape and incest should be exceptions.

Cindy McCain tells ABC's "Good Morning America" that "I don't agree with that aspect, but I do respect her for her views."

Palin has opposed funding sex-education programs in Alaska.

Cindy McCain tells ABC that she advocated abstinence as a part of sex education at her children's school. "I believe that it's twofold and I think all of it should be taught."

Via Yahoo News

Sarah Palin: What republicans really think

2008-09-04T18:06:00.005-05:00

Transcript follows

Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we'll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We'll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she's the right woman for the job Up next, one man who's already convinced and he'll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman.

(cut away)

Peggy Noonan: Yeah.

Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --

PN: It's over.

MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.

PN: Saw Kay this morning.

CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --

MM: They're all bummed out.

CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --

CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.

MM: I totally agree.

PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.

MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.

CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.

MM: Yeah.

Via Talking Points Memo

$100 billion on contractors in Iraq since 2003

2008-08-27T23:40:00.004-05:00

The United States this year will have spent $100 billion on contractors in Iraq since the invasion in 2003, a milestone that reflects the Bush administration’s unprecedented level of dependence on private firms for help in the war, according to a government report to be released Tuesday.

Read more on the 100 billion Via NYTimes

That's a lot of taxpayer dollars being spent -- with virtually no supervision or controls on private firms to run the war. In fact one dollar in five is going to private contractors, a great many of whom are contributors to Bush's career and to Republican Party politicians. There are now more contractors in Iraq than there are U.S. troops.

Howie Klein via The Huffington Post

Fellow POW writes: Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain

2008-08-26T14:21:00.003-05:00

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals.

As some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.

People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always "No - John McCain was a POW with me." The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate.

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

Read the entire essay Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain on Millitary.Com

List of things John McCain was for, before he was against them

2008-08-26T13:54:00.005-05:00

List of so called "maverick" John McCain's ever changing positions on everything he believes in. To bring himself more in line with Bush, McCain has flip flopped 74 times. The list includes fundamental changes in his positions on National Security Policy, Foreign Policy, Military Policy, Domestic Policy, Economic Policy, Energy Policy, Immigration Policy, Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law, Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform, Politics and Associations,

John McCain flip flops Via the Carpet Bagger

Who said it? Bush or Batman

2008-08-18T15:57:00.003-05:00

30 Quotes, who said it? Bush or Batman

By Philadelphia ~~improv~~ sketch group secret pants

The Dark Knight - Kids Edition!

2008-08-18T15:37:00.003-05:00

Worth it, after the crappy intro.

by wizarduniverse.com

Why is everything looking at me?

2008-08-17T11:47:00.002-05:00

Visit the collection of everyday objects with faces.
Faces of earth

Exactitudes: You're unique, just like everybody else.

2008-08-16T21:56:00.004-05:00

Rotterdam-based photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek have worked together since October 1994. Inspired by a shared interest in the striking dress codes of various social groups, they have systematically documented numerous identities over the last 13 years.

They call their series Exactitudes: a contraction of exact and attitude. By registering their subjects in an identical framework, with similar poses and a strictly observed dress code, Versluis and Uyttenbroek provide an almost scientific, anthropological record of people's attempts to distinguish themselves from others by assuming a group identity.

There are 1000's more in this series. Take a look at exactitudes

Anti- Jefferson Ad 1800

2008-08-16T14:57:00.001-05:00

A parody of a TV political attack ad, circa 1800, as the John Adams campaign smears Thomas Jefferson for being too French. From the PBS series "VOTE FOR ME: Politics in America"

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad

2008-08-16T14:54:00.001-05:00

Beijing provides 100,000 condoms for athletes

2008-08-16T14:44:00.000-05:00

BEIJING (Reuters) - The Sydney Olympics ran out. Athens doubled the number. So organisers of the Beijing Games are hoping 100,000 condoms will satisfy the needs of Olympic athletes.
ADVERTISEMENT

While sex is not an Olympic sport it is expected to be an activity in the Beijing village housing 10,500 athletes, all of whom are in great shape and with plenty of free time on their hands once knocked out of the Games.

Athletes have received free condoms at every Olympics since Barcelona in 1992 to help raise awareness of AIDS, and Beijing is no exception.

"There are many young, strong, single people in the athletes' village and, like everywhere, some will fall in love or other things so we need to make condoms available," Ole Hansen, spokesman for UNAIDS China, told Reuters.

"A lot of these young people are not married or in relationships so we want to make sure they have the information and tools to protect themselves if they have sexual encounters."

Read more about Olympic condoms Via Yahoo News

i am neurotic.

2008-08-16T14:38:00.002-05:00

People confess their neurosis anonymously, and then people comment on them, often confessing they sare the same problem.
Here's a few recent examples:
spitty lunch meat
If the clerk behind the deli counter at the grocery store speaks to me at all while my lunchmeat is on the scale, I have to go home and throw away the first two slices of meat from both sides of the package. The fear of spit from them talking to me landing on my lunchmeat is overwhelming, and the only way it is safe to eat is by removing the contaminated pieces. I have to remove from both ends because i am never sure which way they placed the meat into the little ziploc bag.

drink contamination
I cannot drink from an open mouth cup. There must always be a lid, cap, napkin, something over it when I am not drinking. The thought of dust or other disgusting microscopic particles falling into my drink makes me nauseous.

Go confess

Swan Lake - Great Chinese State Circus

2008-08-16T14:35:00.001-05:00

Like you've never seen it before

Loretta Lux - Portraits

2008-06-20T23:42:00.002-05:00

Haunting surreal portraits by Loreeta Lux

Explore Loretta Lux's web site
Thanks Mighty Sarah!

No Country For Gay Men

2008-06-20T23:31:00.003-05:00

This is genius, and expertly done.

No Country For Gay MenCreated by Lawrence Scaduto.

Philadelphia Ghost Signage Project

2008-05-16T00:04:00.004-05:00

What is a ghost sign?
Also faded ad or brick ad. A faded, painted sign, at least 50 years old, on an exterior building wall heralding an obsolete product, an outdated trademark or a clue to the history of the building's occupancy. These signs often reappear after a rainstorm or following the demolition of a neighboring building.

See the Phila Ghost Sign Blog
And James Lileks Ghost Signs My introduction to them. ( His site is fun .. go play there)

Steven Colbert on Bill O'Reilly's Inside Edition Freak Out

2008-05-16T00:02:00.001-05:00

Cats on a Treadmill ... again

2008-05-12T17:26:00.002-05:00

Dudeism - The Slowest Growing Religion

2008-05-12T17:10:00.004-05:00

Come join the slowest-growing religion in the world - Dudeism. An ancient philosophy that preaches non-preachiness, practices as little as possible, and above all, uh...lost my train of thought there. Anyway, if you'd like to find peace on earth and goodwill, man, we'll help you get started. Right after a little nap.

First, you can even get ordained as a Dudeist priest.

Become a Dudeist here

Military stops using Pet Crematory

2008-05-12T16:52:00.000-05:00

Military cremation procedures have been changed after a soldier complained that his buddy's remains were taken to what appeared to be a "pet crematorium," the Pentagon announced Friday.

"We have absolutely no evidence whatsoever at this point that any human remains were, at all, ever mistreated; were ever not cremated where they were supposed to be cremated," Morrell said. "That said, the secretary believes that it is inappropriate, even if though permissible under the rules and regulations, to cremate our fallen, our heroes in a facility that also cremates pets."
Read more Via CNN

Clown Car Update: Duggars are expecting their 18th child

2008-05-12T16:51:00.002-05:00

You may remember Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar from this photo here
These people obviously love kids, and are expecting #18 in January 2009

The Duggar children are, Joshua, 20; Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; Jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; Johannah, 2; and Jennifer 9 months.

Michelle has spent 11 years pregnant. Read more about them here

And they lived Happily ever after. - Or did they? You decide

2008-05-12T16:45:00.002-05:00

Giant List of alternatives to "And they lived Happily ever after.
#01
And they stayed together because of the kids.
#02
And she never learned her lesson never to eavesdrop on any of his phone conversations again.
#03
And he realized that money actually could buy happiness.

Add your own or vote on one here

Childhood Fears - Joshua Hoffine

2008-05-12T16:34:00.002-05:00

Photographer Joshua Hoffine recreates childhood fears by posing family, friends, and neighbors in creepy settings.
He claims everyone has fun so I'm sure no one was permanently scarred in the making of these photo's.
Take a look at Childhood Fears Joshua Hoffine

The Monty Hall Problem

2008-04-20T01:28:00.002-05:00

The Monty Hall Problem, named after the host of the long-running game show "Let’s Make a Deal," is a statistical puzzle that seems counterintuitive.

A recurring deal on the show featured contestants choosing one of three closed doors, with a big prize behind one of them and something else, like a goat, behind each of the others.

If you always switch doors after Monty Hall reveals a goat, then your odds of winning are two-in-three, or 66.7 percent on average. If you keep your original choice, your chances of winning are just one-in-three, or 33 percent on average.

That seems weird, because after Monty reveals a goat, there are two closed doors left, and it might seem as if there should be a 50-50 chance that the car is behind either door.

Play it and see.
Via NYTimes

Pentagon institute calls Iraq war 'a major debacle' with outcome 'in doubt'

2008-04-20T00:42:00.001-05:00

The war in Iraq has become "a major debacle" and the outcome "is in doubt" despite improvements in security from the buildup in U.S. forces, according to a highly critical study published Thursday by the Pentagon's premier military educational institute.

The report released by the National Defense University raises fresh doubts about President Bush 's projections of a U.S. victory in Iraq just a week after Bush announced that he was suspending U.S. troop reductions.

Read more Via Yahoo News

NYTIMES Reports Beware what the experts tell you....

2008-04-20T00:35:00.003-05:00

Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand

Retired officers have been used to shape terrorism coverage from inside the TV and radio networks.

Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

Full article here You don't need to read much to get the idea.

Jerry The Dog and the perpetual fetch machine

2008-04-13T16:45:00.002-05:00

Daily show on Fox News

2008-04-13T16:40:00.004-05:00

2 Parts. Great job.
Part I

Part II

Steampunk Mac Mini

2008-03-11T23:48:00.004-05:00

Wikipedia defines steampunked objects as:
"Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual craftpersons into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style."

This monitor and keyboard for a Mac mini is a gorgeous example:

See it here in full detail

Nike Logo Cost Just $35

2008-03-11T23:39:00.004-05:00

The Nike 'Swoosh' logo cost just $35 (equivalent to $184 today #).

It was designed by graphic design student Carolyn Davidson in 1971 and for her services she charged $35 at a rate of $2/hour.

Phil Knight, the company's co-founder, repaid her in 1982 with a gold Swoosh ring and an unknown amount of Nike stock.

From: A Welsh View

If Iran Were America (And We Were Iran): A Timeline

2008-03-09T12:25:00.003-05:00

1953: Coup in America

Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected President of the United States, a country that receives most of its income from oilfields in Pennsylvania and Texas. The oil is pumped and distributed by the Persian-American Oil Company, owned by Iran.

Fulfilling a major campaign promise, Eisenhower reviews the oil production-sharing agreements between Iran and the USA. As Iran is taking more than 90% of American oil revenues, Eisenhower attempts to renegotiate this arrangement on more even terms for his country.

Prime Minister Mossadegh of Iran is outraged at this show of "American greed." Instead of negotiating, Iran sends its intelligence agents to carry out a policy of regime change. They hire an assortment of American street gangs to do the grunt work.

Bombs destroy churches and community centers across the United States. Fliers and pamphlets appear everywhere, claiming that Eisenhower is a member of Communist Party USA. The Communists, according to the fliers, are destroying churches for Eisenhower to help liberate Americans from the "opiate of the masses." Local newspapers, covertly funded by Iran, echo these ideas. American public opinion is inflamed against President Eisenhower.

The Iranians bribe unpatriotic generals like L.L. Limnitzer to lead the coup against Eisenhower. The Iranians want an authoritarian, fiercely anti-Communist dictator who will never attempt anything resembling nationalization of the American oilfields. After carefully weighing the options, Iran installs Senator Joseph McCarthy as their puppet king to rule the USA.

Read on Via LewRockwell.Com

The Future of Ordering Pizza

2008-03-08T20:29:00.005-05:00

Watch it here
Thanks Rennie

Someone knit these... please

2008-03-08T20:10:00.005-05:00

Ansley at BleuArts.Blogspot has created patterns for many cool things. The Princess Leia hat, and Bat Girl Gloves are just too cool.

See more from Ansley at Bleu Arts

Dirty White Trash - Art of Tim Noble and Sue Webster

2008-03-08T20:03:00.004-05:00

Tim Noble and Sue Webster make scuptures of themselves using piles of junk and a light.

More examples of their work here on think or thwim

Penn and Teller - Recycling is Bullshit

2008-03-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

Worth watching

google image labeler game

2008-03-06T00:24:00.004-05:00

To help google improve it's image search they've created a game of sorts.
You are paired with someone else at random, shown an image and you both keep typing labels for the image until you both agree on a label. The faster you agree the higher your score.
At the end you get to see your partners guesses.
Go play the google image labeler game

PA Attorney Disciplinary Search

2008-03-03T00:39:00.003-05:00

This page allows anyone to search Pennsylvania attorneys and gain information about an attorney such as an attorney's status or whether an attorney, has been subjected to public discipline and/or disability. Orders for public discipline are generally not effective until thirty (30) days after they are entered, and the online database is updated semimonthly. Thus listings may not reflect disciplinary actions taken within the last 30-60 days.

Check out your attorney

Tainted Lemons in your Drinks

2008-03-03T00:36:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Elcap

Foreclosures: Homeowners: Can't pay? Just walk away

2008-03-03T00:31:00.002-05:00

More and more borrowers are watching their house values sink while the cost of their loans skyrockets. What to do? Skip out on the mortgage all together.

Homeowners are abandoning their homes and, more importantly, their mortgages, rather than trying to keep up with rising payments on deteriorating assets. So many people are handing their keys back to lenders that a new term has been coined for it: jingle mail.

"I stopped paying my mortgage in October, after shelling out about $70,000 in interest [over 15 months]," said one borrower, David, who doesn't want his last name used. "Now, I'm just waiting for the default notice."
Read more Via CNN

I'm F'in Matt Damon

2008-03-03T00:26:00.004-05:00

Jimmy Kimmel's Response to Sarah Silverman

2008-03-03T00:25:00.002-05:00

Philadelphia Restaurant Inspections Maps Mashup

2008-03-03T00:17:00.004-05:00

Search able site for Philadelphia Health code inspections

Search for any written violations of food businesses - including restaurants, bakeries, street carts - subject to inspection by Environmental Health Services in the city of Philadelphia.
Search a Restaurant
Mobile Version available too

21 Accents 2.5 minutes - Amy Walker

2008-03-03T00:10:00.002-05:00

Via Neatorama

Barack Obama Yes We Can Video

2008-02-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

This could be the year that Youtube nominates a candidate

John McCain - No You Can't Video

2008-02-16T22:29:00.002-05:00

This could be the year Youtube elects a President.

PetPeek

2008-01-23T00:19:00.000-05:00

I want a dog, a fence, and one of these.

PetPeek

Hey kids .. remember these?

2008-01-23T00:09:00.000-05:00

Scans of retro packages when sugar was king in kids cereal.

Sugar Frosted Flakes became Frosted Flakes, Sugarbear became Honeybear ...
Go look at the retro packaging

Fly like Rocky the Squirrel with a wingsuit

2008-01-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

America's gun culture - fading slowly?

2008-01-16T01:24:00.000-05:00

Is America, land of shooting massacres in schools and public places, slowly falling out of love with guns?

The answer is yes, and it runs counter to popular perceptions of the United States as a country where most citizens are armed to the teeth and believe it is every American's inalienable right to buy an AK 47-style assault rifle with the minimum of bureaucratic paperwork.

But in fact, gun ownership in the United States has been declining steadily over more than three decades, relegating gun owners to minority status.

At the same time, support for stricter gun controls has been growing steadily and those in favor make up a majority.

read more gun culture via reuters

BBC Report: Sudan man forced to 'marry' goat

2008-01-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal.

The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.

They ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.

"They said I should not take him to the police, but rather let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife," Mr Alifi told the newspaper.

read more on the goat marriage

Philly's Mayor raps old school

2008-01-15T12:48:00.000-05:00

Rent Bling

2008-01-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

Diamonds of Palo Alto rents this $100,000 dazzling diamond necklace for the much less intimidating price of $2,290 per day.

Spicing up a winter party dress with diamonds won't force you to leverage your life savings - if you don't mind renting your jewelry.

Keiko Iwaisako rented a Charriol diamond necklace for the month of December from Seattle-based online jeweler Bag Borrow or Steal. She plans to wear it to one of the office holiday parties.

With shipping and insurance, her total for the month was $328. Retail value: $2,595. The experience: Priceless.
Read more about rental jewelry

My little Friend says hello - This is cool

2008-01-12T17:41:00.000-05:00

Varitalk's patented technology empowers companies and content providers to literally speak to consumers on a personal level, with individually customized messages in the celebrity or character voice of their choice.

Send a personalized phone call from Tony Montana.

fantoche - wall animation

2008-01-06T23:53:00.000-05:00

Just amazing, watch it!

fantoche from blu on Vimeo.

Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality

2008-01-06T23:37:00.001-05:00

My general rule of thumb when dining out is never eat anywhere with pictures of the food on the menu. Here's why:
Arby's Beef 'n' Cheddar

Here's more via thewvsr.com

Baby Name Remorse

2008-01-06T23:28:00.000-05:00

Pauline and Jeffrey Eadie, of Cleveland, had gathered the family together to watch home movies of their two older children as babies. In one movie, Jack, now 5, was looking skeptically at his then-newborn sister, now 3. "In the video, I was saying, 'Jack, go to the baby, go hug her,'" says Pauline. "And then at some point I said, 'Go kiss Emma.'"
Unaware that her name had been changed when she was a newborn, Pauline Eadie's daughter, Caroline, looked at her and asked 'Who's Emma?'"

The Eadies are among a surprising number of parents who, following the birth of their child, suffer namer's remorse. In a recent poll of 1,219 mothers conducted by BabyCenter.com, 10 percent considered changing their baby's name. The reasons they gave ranged from being inspired by another name to having a relative disagree with the choice.
read more via cnn

The real life simpsons house

2008-01-06T23:23:00.001-05:00

more pictures here

Zuiikin English - I have a bad case .....

2008-01-01T01:12:00.000-05:00

Also see .... Zuikkin Girls in "Spare me my life"

Are Elephants Really Afraid of Mice?

2007-12-27T00:41:00.000-05:00

Via Neatorama

bad logo

2007-12-26T01:35:00.000-05:00

also see these
Pediatric center's bad logo
Unintentionally Phallic Logos

Antibacterial Subway Gloves

2007-12-26T01:13:00.000-05:00

GERMOPHOBIC commuters face a quandary whenever they have to stand on the bus or the subway: either hang onto the icky metal poles, or risk being tossed about like rag dolls when the brakes are applied. Veteran straphangers who live in mortal fear of a rhinovirus sometimes favor a compromise solution, which Emily A. Beck first observed while riding the R train through Manhattan in early 2005.

“I noticed these people balancing just one finger on a pole, so they wouldn’t have to grab the nasty, slimy metal,” said Ms. Beck, founder of the product design firm LuLu Brands of Wilmington, Del., where she lives.
Read more Via NYT

Bodega Cats

2007-12-26T01:08:00.000-05:00

Amid the goods found in the stores, there is one thing that many owners and employees say they cannot do without: their cats. And it goes beyond cuddly companionship. These cats are workers, tireless and enthusiastic hunters of unwanted vermin, and they typically do a far better job than exterminators and poisons.

When a bodega cat is on the prowl, workers say, rats and mice vanish.
ElCap Via NYT

Dramatic Prairie Dog

2007-12-25T01:25:00.000-05:00

A hug from Amma - The "Hugging Saint"

2007-12-18T01:28:00.000-05:00

All over the world people are lining up to recieve a hug from Amma
For 30 years Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, to give her her real name, has been hugging people, leading some to give her a saintly nickname.

Time spent with Amma is free and she does not promote any particular faith, being for "all religions and none". She is said to have doled out some 26 million hugs, or "darshan", as the experience is known. Each is counted off with a clicker.

She has said that to hug someone is to symbolise giving, and that her embrace should help awaken the spirit of selflessness in people.

Read more Via BBC News then see where Amma will be hugging next
I think its a really cool think thats shes doing and personally, I'd kill to hug her.

Contractor, homeowner at odds over fortune found in bathroom walls

2007-12-18T01:24:00.000-05:00

A contractor working on a home found $500,000 dollars in cash in the walls of a client and former friend's home. Now they're fighting over the cash.
Imagine that.
Read the story via the Cleveland Plains Dealer

Curiology - The Works of Ward

2007-12-18T01:15:00.000-05:00

The Dichotomy Series by painter Alie Ward

These are just great. Someone buy me one, or buy yourself one and tell her I sent you and maybe she'll give me one in gratitude.
See these and more at Curiology

Play BuzzDash - The Game

2007-12-18T01:05:00.000-05:00

Like trivial pursuit meets family feud. Pick a catagory and get 15 seconds to answer each of 15 questions as you think most other people answered. Fun and addictive.
Play BuzzDash

Wedding First Dance

2007-12-15T19:41:00.000-05:00

You just know this was a fun wedding