March 30, 2006

Animated Flash map of Iraq war casualties

This is interesting animation that you should check it out!

Snagged from Boing Boing: Animated Flash map of Iraq war casualties:


Xeni Jardin:
This animated map of coalition military fatalities during the Iraq war unfolds at ten frames per second. Each frame represents one day of the war. One dot marks each casualty site. A death begins as a white flash, then grows to a larger red dot, which turns black after 30 frames (days), fading at last to permanent grey.


Link to "Iraq War Coalition Fatalities," created by Tim Klimowicz. (via Digg user dirtyfratboy, thanks, John Parres)

Posted by Boult at 4:59 AM

Real Security, Part II

I snagged this from Daily Kos because I want to share this with my blog reader that Democrats are real serious about Security than others thinks despite what Republicans has done but did nothing. Read below please...

Snagged from Daily Kos at: Real Security, Part II:



Do you want to know how serious Democrats are about national security? Click on www.democrats.gov. The entire site has been revamped around the Real Security plan. You can read the platform here, and here is the link to the PDF brochure. You can listen to audio of today's announcement here. The plan lays out a tough and smart approach to our national security, from eliminating Osama bin Laden to declaring energy independence.  The plan is so provocative, the administration sent out Vice-President Dick Cheney to FOX News (where else would he go?) to play defense. Cheney lied (what else would he do?) and said our "behavior has been totally inconsistent with what they're now promising to do."

Enter the facts.

Over at the revamped Senate Democrats site, Harry Reid has an amazing, comprehensive rundown of the Democrats' Record on Real Security vs. The Bush Republican Record of Dangerous Incompetence.  There, you can find all the pesky facts that Cheney & Co. want to spin away, seductively cushioned between actual bill numbers and record votes which prove that Democrats not only have a record on Real Security, but it's a damn impressive one at that.

For those that say today's plan did not offer enough detail, I urge you to look at that page and see the solutions Democrats have offered time and time again--only to be stonewalled by an administration beholden more to corporate interests and politics than actually safeguarding our nation.  

This Democratic offensive will be a sustained one, lasting all the way until election day when voters will have to chose between our party, which has a proven record of safeguarding our nation, and the GOP, a party that has a proven record of dangerous incompetence.  When it comes to real security, is it really even a choice?

Update: Real Security Part I, for those wondering, would be my teaser post from earlier this morning, for those that missed it.

Update #2: The Democratic National Committee is on the offensive too, and has an easy-to-navigate flash page detailing the plan.

Posted by Boult at 12:45 AM

March 27, 2006

North Pole Sunset: UPDATE

Today, a email arrived in my mailbox with photo of this.

the caption in the email says:
A scene you will probably never get to see, so take a moment and enjoy.
This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point.
And, you also see the sun below the moon. An amazing photo and not one
easily duplicated. You may want to save this and pass on to others.

Image001-1


AFter wondering how someone get hold of this since in my prevous entry where I found the same image from flickr which was removed by 603sabre so I decided to google for it and learned that it was listed in snope so here it is:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/northpole.asp it is still undetermined either real or fake. but I came across a discussion forum at "Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum" where they discussed the same photo above:
http://www.bautforum.com/archive/index.php/t-37914.html

It's probably fake but it looked awesome though!

Posted by Boult at 8:20 AM

March 22, 2006

Do you want Sweetmind to step down?

as Chief Monitor of DeafChat that is.. I do know that most of us do want her to step down from her current position and become a regular chatter for good. I am not talking about banning her from Deaf Chat for life. I am talking about removing her from her current position which she abused over the years.

The owner of DeafChat doesn't want to get rid of her because he does not know anybody to replace her. I say, So what, eliminate the position! So that way all monitors that are currently volunteering for DeafChat can be equal and report directly to the owner not to Sweetmind because it would be hard for them to be heard by the owner about what's really going on in DC.

I resigned from my work at MSM Productions, LTD as Internet Technician/Consultant back in Dec 02 and then about 10 month later in 2003 Sweetmind showed up in DeafLore (now a defunct forum that shut down sometime in 04 or so) and trashed Eve and others which prompted me to start a online petition to remove her. The online petition can be found thru this thread on DOL.

Recently, Sweetmind joined AllDeaf forum and bashed me but the thread was deleted by RoadRunner, one of the moderator of AD, on the reason for naming names as shown in a private message by him

Hello--
Just to let you know that the report you made concerning a particular thread whereas another member had posted in the form of naming you, etc. was removed from public view.

Therefore, the whole thread was taken out--

If any further concerns or questions, do not hesitate to ask me or any of the other mods--

Have a good night now.


~RR


I reported to the moderators about the link to petition pasted by Sweetmind which Alex removed years ago when I started a thread in AD. (it was eventually removed) expecting that the link be removed but the whole thread was gone anyway.

She hasn't learned a lesson not to bash a dead horse.

Now Today I bring it up again on my own blog since she prompted it in first place on AD. so much for reopening wounds. eh...

So I urge all of you, former DeafChatters who has been slighted by Sweetmind over the year and gave up on going to DC ever again because of her. Please sign the petition. It is currently about 140+ (The reason it is not gathering more is because it's been quiet since lately till Sweetmind bring it up again so let's see if it resume gathering more signatures.) I do not care how many signatures I need.. I just need plenty and honest comment/testimonials of their experience in DC with Sweetmind.

From the online petition, Fasty(#5) he mentioned that Sweetmind were known at other chat rooms as operator in the past before DeafChat was formed.

SweetMind is nothing new. she is a problemablic and she was formerly in Efnet #deaf, then deafzone and deafuniverse in talkcity, then now deafchat. Time is enough and she needs to remove the operator status and let someone who has more friendly, open mind, and etc.
I am sure some of you may remember from other chat room mentioned above may experienced the same thing that we have experienced in DeafChat (the banning, censoring and etc even favoritism)

I have told the owner, Matthew Moore, about her past but it was my word against Sweetmind's because she may have told him differently about her past.

Please spread the word about the online petition and hopefully DeafChat will become more peaceful without her at the helms.

Update: I found my first old online petition that was cached by Google before I went with petitiononline.com for better security and less duplicates.

Posted by Boult at 9:03 PM

March 19, 2006

North Pole sunset

Found this on Flickr.com... Awesome and interesting!

North Pole sunset

The sun and the moon as close as they can get.
(astrnomy)

"North Pole sunset" by 603sabre

Update: aww.. the image was removed by owner. oh well..

Posted by Boult at 7:20 PM

March 12, 2006

Chair made from 4,000 CDs

This is what AOL Throne looks like when you collect enough AOL CDs that AOL dish out every day in the mail. what a waste eh? But this person made it useful!

Snagged from MAKE: Blog;
Chair made from 4,000 CDs:


Img M345

Cool Detailed Make - "The AOL Throne was built in the summer of 2003. It contains 4000 CDs, weighs at least 150 pounds, barely fits through doors, and plugs into an electical outlet." - [via] Link.


[Read More]
[Comments]

Posted by Boult at 11:57 AM

March 9, 2006

Beer Before Smoothies...And Milk

I like Lipton Tea and I have given up on drinking Pepsi but I still drink Milk, Low Fat (or 2%) for use in either breakfast cereal or Ovaltine drink(that I drink one glass of Ovaltine Chocolate Malt blended with Ice for "milk shake" for mid-morning snack everyday!) I hardly drink Beer or Coffee but I do not avoid them though.

Anyway.. below is interesting read..

Snagged from "A Good Beer Blog"...
Beer Before Smoothies...And Milk:


Even I suspect this study a little, though for now I am blaming the cold remedies filling my brain:

The report was paid for by the corporate parent of Lipton Tea, which is now using the scientists' advice to advertise tea's benefits. The nutritionists say they didn't know the extent of Lipton's marketing campaign, and the company didn't play a role in the recommendations, which generally urge people to drink more water.

But beverage industry spokesmen and other nutritionists found fault with several of the guidelines. For example, whole milk is out, but moderate alcohol is OK. In fact, the scientists say men can drink as much as 24 ounces of beer a day -- more than the 16 ounces of low-fat milk or soy drinks they suggest, and three times their recommended limit for fruit juice.

There is a point, however, to be made that beer - especially real ales and lagers - is not made up of empty calories so comparing them to sugared juices and soda pops should be expected to be a no-brainer, even if the remnants of the temperance movement are shocked.

Posted by Boult at 11:43 PM

March 8, 2006

Abramoff Interview: Lobbyist Details Relationship With Bush, DeLay, Burns

Is Republican Party the "Worst Party Ever!" I mean Republican Party is the most corrupt political party I ever saw! Some would say Democrats were but not that corrupt like Republicans! The level of corruption in Democrats Party was very very mild. Expect more to come out on republicans corruption. You already have seen it in action since 2000!

Snagged from Think Progress:
Abramoff Interview: Lobbyist Details Relationship With Bush, DeLay, Burns:




Vanity Fair is set to publish an in-depth interview with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Abramoff sheds new light on his close relationships with top conservatives, including some not typically associated with the Abramoff scandals like Ken Mehlman and Newt Gingrich. Some choice quotes:


On President Bush:


President Bush, who claims not to remember having his picture taken with Abramoff. According to Abramoff, at one time, the president joked with Abramoff about his weight lifting past: “What are you benching, buff guy?”


On former Rove deputy Ken Mehlman:


According to documents obtained by Vanity Fair, Mehlman exchanged e-mail with Abramoff, and did him political favors (such as preventing Clinton administration alumnus Allen Stayman from keeping a State Department job), had Sabbath dinner at Abramoff’s house, and offered to pick up Abramoff’s tab at Signatures, Abramoff’s own restaurant.


On Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX):


Abramoff has “admired Tom DeLay and his family from the first meeting with him,” he tells Margolick. “We would sit and talk about the Bible. We would sit and talk about opera. We would sit and talk about golf,” Abramoff recalls. “I mean, we talked about philosophy and politics.”



On Newt Gingrich:


Newt Gingrich, whose spokesman Rick Tyler tells Margolick that “Before [Abramoff’s] picture appeared on TV and in the newspapers, Newt wouldn’t have known him if he fell across him. He hadn’t seen him in 10 years.” A rankled Abramoff says “I have more pictures of [Newt] than I have of my wife.”


On Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT):


Abramoff says: “Every appropriation we wanted [from Burns’s committee] we got. Our staffs were as close as they could be. They practically used Signatures as their cafeteria. I mean, it’s a little difficult for him to run from that record.”


Despite the magnitude of his crimes, however, Abramoff says that imprisoning him would only deprive society of his teaching and/or janitorial talents:


Abramoff … tells [Vanity Fair] that sending him to prison is “stupid,” saying, “Let me teach English, history, music. Or let me sweep floors at the reservation. Instead you’ll be paying to feed me to sit in a jail.”


Read the full article here.



Posted by Boult at 1:01 PM