Bad TV news

It looks like there won't be a fourth season for Arrested Development, the best comedy on television now and possibly one of the best in the last 10 years. Sigh.

(The Arrested Development news is at the end of the story.)

Visual Studio Express -- for free!

Microsoft is wooing developers with this one-year promo. This limited-functionality "express" version is perfect for beginners like me.

Yahoo Maps pranks Google

Funny.

Porn ads are showing up on my site!

Tripod apparently has no problem putting up links to "Jessica Alba naked" on my site, just because the site mentions her. And this is on top of the annoying popups and the sidebar stunt in IE.

I need a new Web host. Any good free ones out there?

Web site goodness

For you Firefox users, here is a very handy extension that lets you load IE-optimized sites in a Firefox tab. Nice for sites with ActiveX controls you need or for clueless designers that insist on making their pages IE-only.

And for all browsers, Yahoo has updated its map service to better compete with Google. Unlike Google, Yahoo uses Flash. It's a little slower, but has some nice features that make it easier to plan routes and find nearby points of interest.

One thing I don't like is that printed-out routes aren't as easy to read now (the old style had giant L and R circles that made it easier to see turns while driving -- I know you're not supposed to do that, but still!). It's still in beta, so maybe they're still working on the speed issue and route printout style.

I use my TomTom GPS software for that kind of thing now, but Yahoo Maps is still nice for pre-planning and finding places not in TomTom's database. And since TomTom updates its maps only when upgrading the software, Yahoo and Google are sometimes more accurate.

Tulsa Newspaper Carrier Admits to Killing Two Customers

As a former carrier for (now-defunct) rival Tulsa Tribune, I always knew those Tulsa World delivery boys were no good.

I want, I want

Assuming that the volume control is a real knob and not just a rotating disc like Logitech's past models, this might be the coolest keyboard ever.

Programming in the key of C

Well, I'm killing time in the DeAnza computer lab. My presence is required by my C Programming class even though I finished the lab assignment last week. I suspect the assignments are going to get harder later on in the semester.

I must say, I really like structured languages over the old version of BASIC I used in high school. I'm told more recent versions, such as Visual BASIC, are more structured.

Anyway, I'm wondering how long it would take to get a computer science degree, or at least enough of a background to get admitted into a CS-related master's program.

Looks like Google is up to something big.

Google Secure Access Installer

Earthquake!

But not the Big One.

Doubletalk

Interesting feature of Google Talk: you can be logged in from two machines simutaneously. If someone sends a message, you'll get it on both machines. Not sure how useful this is, but it's interesting, perhaps a feature of the Jabber protocol it uses.

Google fixed the bridge!

Apparently, Google Maps and Google Earth are using separate satellite databases.

The new Mill Avenue (Tempe, AZ) bridge (according to Google Earth):




The "old" bridge (according to Google Maps):


Speaking of Google Earth, the firm has posted some overlay imports showing Hurricane Katrina damage. Maybe this will get somebody in Washington off his butt.

How cool is this?

Skype now forwards incoming Intenret calls to a regular phone. You have to pay SkypeOut rates for the forwarded calls, but still -- very cool.

Google IM is live

Google has launched its foray into the instant messaging arena with Google Talk, its answer to Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, MSN Messenger and several other services.

While Google's entry is a nice, simple client with a clean interface and open protocols, I can't help but be a little disappointed. Usually when Google comes late to the party, it offers something unique. Gmail blows away the competition -- and I say this as a longtime Yahoo Mail user who pays $5 a month for a decent spam filter! Meanwhile, Google Maps really changes the game in online maps. I still use Yahoo Maps for the easy-to-read printed directions, ability to store frequently-used addresses and SmartView feature for finding train stations near meetings in San Francisco. But Google Maps has a much nicer interface; I hope Yahoo copies it soon. And finally, Google is just a much better search engine. Case in point: it's easier to get to a specific address on Yahoo Maps through Google than through Yahoo itself!

That said, Google Talk falls a little flat. It has a nice voice feature, but so does Skype, Yahoo and a few others.

To its credit, Google is going with open standards and a pledge of interoperability, which counts for a lot. Maybe well see cool third-party development that will propel Talk above the others. We'll see.

It plays Doom!

Apparently, my cell phone isn't the only diminutive gadget that can run Doom.

I'm a trendsetter!

According to this Slate article, I may have helped popularize the term "Meth Mouth."

Although users have been snorting, smoking, injecting, and swallowing methamphetamine in great quantities for more than 40 years, the phrase meth mouth is brand new. It makes its first Nexis appearance in Investor's Business Daily as an unsourced one-liner in a Jan. 31, 2003, digest of news: 'Methamphetamine's drying effect on saliva glands leads to tooth decay and gum disease, dentists say, a trend known as 'meth mouth.' '

More than two dozen different stories about meth mouth have appeared in Nexis since the IBD mention, but the majority of them fail to advance the story in any significant way. The better articles note, as IBD did correctly, that methamphetamine users suffer from dry mouth (xerostomia), which contributes to tooth decay and gum disease."

For the record, I didn't invent the term. The study I cited used it. But I did like enough to make sure it fit into the extremely limited space I had to write it.

And that's why my collegues now call me Ken "Meth Mouth" Brown. At least I hope that's the reason.

Google now has wildcard searches

Finally.

Free $4,300 Hawaii vacations for county employees

Paid for by me and other Santa Clara county taxpayers, of course. In her defense, Liz Kniss pointed out that she went to the same conference in Phoenix last year:

``They had been so questioned about whether they should be going to Honolulu,'' Kniss said. ``It was of great interest to the press. Nobody ever thought it was interesting when I went to Phoenix. It's interesting that people think Honolulu is more glamorous.''

Where would people get that crazy idea?

Story here.

Yahoo for Firefox final

It's finally done. I consider this, along with Google's toolbar, a must-have for Firefox.

Daily Kos: A**hole analysts rag on Costco

Funny. These were my exact thoughts when I read this story.

Some Wall Street analysts assert that Mr. Sinegal is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well.

Costco's average pay, for example, is $17 an hour, 42 percent higher than its fiercest rival, Sam's Club. And Costco's health plan makes those at many other retailers look Scroogish. One analyst, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, complained last year that at Costco "it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder."

No, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, almost anyone in a position to be a major shareholder of Costco is better off than a $17-an-hour Costco employee. Your statement is almost as ridiculous as the Wall Street Journal calling low-income Americans "lucky duckies" because they don't have to pay taxes.

I have more computing power in my cell phone than they do on the Space Shuttle

Actually, I'm not sure about that. But I do know that I just installed the original Doom on my Motorola MPX220 and it runs great. This is an old game, mind you, but I remember when you had to have a pretty decent PC to play it.

I also remember being amazed by the graphics and at how much better the game was than Wolfenstein 3-D. And how much better Wolfenstein 3-D was than the original Castle Wolfenstein, which was the coolest game in the school computer lab because the enemies shouted German.

Man, I'm getting old.

Something I wish I had in high school

Besides a girlfriend, that is.

I think this has been around awhile, but I just discovered it today. Microsoft's sarch page now includes something called Encarta Answers, which can solve problems with variables! Example: x^2 + 4x - 17 = 32. You need an Encarta Premium subsciption to use it to the fullest, but going through MSN search gives you a two-hour "pass" to some features. Pretty nifty, and a step up from the also-handy Google Calculator.

Anecdotal Leads for News Stories Reporting the End of the World.

If you enjoy making fun of "journalese," you'll find these fake news lleads hilarious. Ouch. Funny, but ouch.

Google Earth Hacks

Nice little forum with add-ons for Google Earth, including real-time weather maps, traffic and 3-D models of cities Google hasn't gotten around to doing yet. This is what's so great about APIs and a network of millions of people.

You might want to look at getting that bridge fixed

Tempe's Mill Avenue bridge, as depicted by Google Maps.

Download of the day

If you don't like/can't afford FrontPage or DreamWeaver and need something a little more full-featured than the Web authoring tool in Mozilla Composer, then Nvu might be just what you're looking for. Features of this free, open-source page design software include: WYSIWYG editing, tabbed editing, advanced CSS support, FTP publishing and more. Screenshots and a complete feature list here.

I love the Internets

Four cool things to write about, two from Google and two from Yahoo:

Google Earth: A free and improved version of Keyhole, a cool satellite mapping system that until now was available only by subscription (the service still sell premium subscriptions). Basically, this is an interactive mapping service that uses satellite imagery and 3-D perspective in a really cool way. If you've ever wanted to see what it would look like to fall to Earth from space, here's your chance. Recent improvements include 3-D terrain and buildings for major cities (rather than a perspective view of 2-D pictures) and fly-through driving directions, which actually might come in handy.

Personalized Google search: Now Google can (optionally) keep track of your searches to get a better idea of what you're looking for in future searches. I haven't actually seen the filter in action yet -- Google says it may take awhile to get a good search history. The results page will indicate whether the search has been personalized, for times when you want a standard search. And you can always turn off the feature permanently.

Yahoo Music Unlimited: I don't quite like the standalone player, but $7 per month, a nice selection of tunes and and 192-kbps encoding add up to the best subscription music service on the market. Yahoo has published the players APIs, which could lead to all sorts of cool add-ons. Someone has already created a taskbar mode that works a lot like the one for Windows Media Player. I hope this isn't a bug, but I can transfer protected files just fine to my iPaq, even though it's not listed as a compatible device.

Yahoo mail: I haven't seen the actual beta yet, but the company has announced a faster, easier-to-use e-mail service that makes better use of Web scripting and XML (for you techies, a set of technologies collective known as AJAX -- Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). If you use Google's Gmail or Google Maps, you already know why this is a big deal. Yahoo bought Web e-mail firm Oddpost last year, but this is the first confirmation they'll be using the technology for its free e-mail service. I still pay for Yahoo Mail Plus because of the excellent spam filter, disposable addresses and because it serves as my "permanent" address.

Andrea roars back from vacation

mercpage
Originally uploaded by Ken Spencer Brown.

This is her third front-page graphic this week for the Merc. This one is about people who commute by private plane to their Silicon Valley jobs.

The force is with us

This is the line for the midnight showing of Star Wars III - at the least popular theater in town!

OK, I'm officially a geek

I just bought my tickets for the midnight showing of Revenge of the Sith.

But most of the reviews show that this one is much better than the last two prequels. The New York Times reviewer says it's even better than the original Star Wars. So that justifies the midnight showing on a workday, right?

MSN desktop search final

Microsoft has released the final version this excellent desktop search tool, which in my experience is the best of the three big file search tools (the other two are Google's and Yahoo's. All three are very useful, but MSN is the only one of them that indexes OneNote files, which I use extensively. It has tangibly improved the way I work, eliminating the file- and email-hunting that used to take up so much of my day.

Why are these tools any different from the regular Windows search function? For one, they're faster than the standard Windows search, even othose aided by Windows' annoying indexing service, which many power users turn off. Second, the new tools search the contents of files, not just the names. So it's easier to find that Coxinha recipe, even if you don't remember whether you found it on a Web site, saved it as a Word file or got it in an e-mail. And all three tools set themselves in your Windows taskbar, so they're always ready to use.

If you haven't tried out the services, you should. They're free.

Lavarific

My lava lamp at work came back to life!

We're No. 1!

L.A., S.F. Lead Nation in Rush-Hour Delays

Test from cell

Did it work?

By popular demand

Seattle's famous Perpetually Vomiting Bear.

One more time, with a better size.

I saw this at the Computer History Museum (it's here,not in Seattle). My favorite feature, as listed on the box: "Displays all words." As a writer, I can certainly see why this would be helpful.

Mostly fixed

Well, I found an old version of my page, so I won't have to re-do everything. This whole mess stemmed from some new photos-on-the-go functionality I'm trying to add to the site so I can post text and photos from my phone and Pocket PC.

Yes, as you can tell from all this free computer time I have, Andrea is in Brazil. I'll be joining her in two weeks. Maybe someday I'll find a job that offers real vacation time.

Ooops!

Looks like I really screwed up my blog. I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend.

I'm in Seattle!

Testing.

Hold off on that memory upgrade

From Infoworld (via Yahoo News): Need DRAM? Best Prices Still to Come

Who says you need a pricey laplop to surf the Web at Starbucks?

This guy doesn't.

Longhorn peeks

This blogger talks about his dinner with Microsoft's Jim Allchin and gives some cool details about the upcoming version of Windows.

Andrea goes to Spain: The San Jose Mercury News sent Andrea to this year's Malofiej (a Society for News Design conference) in Bilbao, Spain. Here, we can see her having trouble with my iPaq. More photos here.

One's man's trash is another man's Ladmo Bag

Someone broke into my car -- probably after I left it unlocked, as I tend to do -- rifled though everything, but apparently didn't find anything he liked. Which is kind of insulting if you think about it.

I had a very nice mouse and keyboard in there, a pair of headphnes, some home-burned CDs and a couple of framed prints I plan to give to Goodwill. My stereo, factory installed, separates the radio and CD player. This setup hides the CD player near the cupholder, which makes the radio look like your basic factory-installed radio. Of course, even if the would-be thief had seen the CD player, if would probably fit only in another Honda Civic.

Ha ha!

Of course, this is probably a good sign that I should get a car alarm and clean up the car so no one is even tempted to see if I have anything valuable. Sometimes I do leave my laptop int he trunk.

Real-life searching with Google

The jaugernaut continues as Google unveils its new map service. It's a slick offering, with a 3D look for pushpins and direction bubbles. And if you click and hold your mouse button, you can drag the map around on the fly. There's lots of other nice little touches.

The one thing that this doesn't have yet is the ability to save frequently used adresses for quick directions like Yahoo, which is the deal-killer for me. But Google being Google, I'm sure they'll add the feature in eventually.

More on AAC+

This site goes into a litle more detail about the coding technology.

A few cool things

I've been neglecting the blog recently -- I've been extremely busy with work and life -- but I have some cool things to mention:

AAC+: Dolby's new sound format, which is part of the MPEG4 standard, gives really good sound at bitrates as low as 24 kbps. Don't believe me? Try Tuner2 and find out for yourself. I think you need Winamp 5.05 or above to use the format

Star Wars Republic Commando: The game demo is out. I liked it.

Lifehacker: This Web site explains how to do lots of techie and non-techie things. Pretty nifty.

Picasa 2: The new version of Google's photo-management software is out. It's free, and makes managing photos easier than it is on the Mac.

More of thiose red state family values

Police: Girl died after mother forced her to drink bleach - Jan 14, 2005

"A woman angry with her 12-year-old daughter for having sex forced the girl to drink bleach and sat on her until the child died, a police detective said.

The girl's 9-year-old brother was forced to watch the attack, Detective Warren Cotton testified Thursday in a preliminary hearing for Tunisia Archie, 31."

Mission accomplished

Iraq a new terror breeding ground

Another brilliant success from the man we re-elected to keep us safe.

Bush and the evildoers agree on something

MSNBC - Militants warn Iraqis not to vote on Jan. 30: "The radical Ansar al-Sunnah Army and two other insurgent groups issued a statement Thursday warning that democracy was un-Islamic. Democracy could lead to passing un-Islamic laws, such as permitting homosexual marriage, if the majority or people agreed to it, the statement said."

Jet Is an Open Secret in Terror War

This story (reg required) is an interesting example of how the blogs and journalism mix. I was impressed with the amount of research that went into this story until I got to the jump and realized that hobbyist Bloggers had done much of the work.

In this case, it works -- a reporter can't be everywhere at once and has only so much time to work on the story. The more participants, the better.

I've finally made the switch

I've made Mozilla Firefoxl my default browser after open source developers finally got Yahoo toolbar working decently on it. The browser is fast and offers lots of cool plug-ins, like weather checkers, RSS readers and tons of navigation aids. It's also supposed to be a lot safer than Internet Explorer, though XP SP2 may have closed that gap.

Unless Microsoft acts quickly, Firefox could quickly reach a critical mass and steal serious market share. Not that they get any money off of the browser anyway.

Why the news media should be a bit more skeptical of "authority figures"

From the Los Angeles Times:PR Meets Psy-Ops in War on Terror

"Officials at the Pentagon and other U.S. national security agencies said the CNN incident was not an isolated feint — the type used throughout history by armies to deceive their enemies — but part of a broad effort underway within the Bush administration to use information to its advantage in the war on terrorism."

One of life's great mysteries...solved!

A Microsoftie explains one of the things that, even after all these years, I still never really understood about Windows -- until today, that is:

Will dragging a file result in a move or a copy?

- If Ctrl+Shift are held down, then the operation creates a shortcut.
- If Shift is held down, then the operation is a move.
- If Ctrl is held down, then the operation is a copy.
- If no modifiers are held down and the source and destination are on the same drive, then the operation is a move.
- If no modifiers are held down and the source and destination are on different drives, then the operation is a copy.

Call me stupid, but this behavior, part of Windows since 1989, was news to me.

Nation's Poor Win Election For Nation's Rich

This just about sums it up.

Bush says voters set direction for next four years

Some mandate. The guy's talking like he won in a landslide. At least he's being honest about his plans to give more tax breaks to the rich (make no mistake: "simplifying" the tax code is another way of saying "flat tax") and gutting Social Security by tunneling some of the money to "private accounts" and eventually phasing out the government subsidy altogether. If you don't think that's going to happen, just take a look at the record deficit.

FOXNews.com - You Decide 2004

Bush just took Ohio. It's over.

Bush takes Colo., Ohio leanign Bush

If these numbers bear out, Bush has this wrapped up.

Bush takes Florida

This doesn't look good.

Blue Light Alert

From today's New York Times:

"In its final form, their project may be viewed as the Homeland Security Department's worst nightmare: a road map enabling all sorts of undesirables to penetrate a nation's borders, banking systems, supermarket loyalty clubs."

I seriously doubt that government officials are worried about someone stealing my Safeway discounts.

The Bush recovery continues!

Job-cut plans soar to 8-month high

Something to think about tonight during the VP debate.

Kerry wins!

That's what we're hearing from the undecided panels at NBC, CBS and ABC. Something tells me the Fox News poll will look a little different.

It's all about momentum, baby!

The debate, part II

Wow, all six of the undecided Ohio voters on NBC's post-debate panel sound like they're leaning toward Kerry now.

Awesome!

The debate

Did Bush do as badly as I think he did? He looked like a guy who forgot to study for his final oral exam.

Users say Microsoft's Money is broke

It's true.

I have to echo the sentiment. While I'm not having the same bill-payment problem with the 2005 upgrade, there are lots of other irritating bugs that put me on the verge of going back to the previous version:

- After it resurrected old bills on the automatic scheduler, I had to completely re-do my scheduled bills and entire budget.

- I disconnected my accounts from online banking. When I went to re-connect them, it imported the banking info as new accounts, minus any info on pending bills.

- Online updates are erratic and confusing. When I try to manually sync my accounts it gives me an error stating that I can't -- because it's in the middle of an update!

- A change in the categories messed up the budget I had created, making "food" a seperate catagory, rather than the parent category, for "groceries" and "dining out."

These aren't huge problems, but 2005 doesn't really offer any real improvements over 2004, either. I liked earlier versions of Money, and I usually like having the latest and greatest software. But I have to recommend against this upgrade.

Mechanical Pong

Those wacky Germans give us an idea of what Pong might have looked like if the transistor had never been invented.

They found the lost WMD!

In Georgia .

Bush resorts to criticizing Americans

Bush: Kerry? strategy 'tired, pathetic'

"What would you expect from a senator from Massachusetts?" Bush said, as a partisan crowd cheered the reference to Kerry's home state and its liberal leanings.

What goes around comes around

The New York Times > Washington > Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard

Of course, there's one big difference between this scandal and the one manufactured by the Swift Boat lairs: the historical record vindicates Kerry, but damns Bush.

Another look at the convention.

Ouch.

Flip-flopper-in-chief

MSNBC - Bush promises: 'Nothing will hold us back'

Keep in mind, this is the same guy who said, just a few days ago, that he didn't think the war on terrorism could be won.

GOP backs away from Miller's blast

Wow, old Zell is too crazy for the GOP, too. So much for trying to look moderate.

Winning the war on terror -- or as the rest of the world says, "terrorism"

Worldwide terorrism-related deaths on the rise

Another pro-Bush flip-flopper

Democrat Miller crosses lines, assails Kerry

Just three years ago, Miller introduced Kerry at the Georgia Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, praising him as “one of this nation’s authentic heroes” and a colleague who had “worked to strengthen our military.”

Wednesday night, by contrast, Miller denounced Kerry, whom he hailed three years ago as “one of this party’s best-known and greatest leaders.

The best part is Zeller calling Kerry "weak," just days after Bush said he didn't think the war on terror could be won.

Judgment Day - Yes on Schwarzenegger. No on Bush.

Some good points by William Saletan:

I'm no huge fan of John Kerry. He sees two sides of every one-sided issue, and four sides of every two-sided issue. But the alternative is a president who sees one side of every issue, no matter how many sides it has. Given how many sides there usually are, and given how little effort Bush makes to learn about each issue, the odds are that, on average, he'll pick the wrong side. The record of the last four years shows that he has done precisely that. But because Bush refuses to 'waver,' as Schwarzenegger charitably puts it, we keep going in the wrong direction. The only way to stop such a president is to vote him out of office. Fortunately, an election is coming.

Just in case you're believing any of that crap coming out of New York

Giuliani Charges Lack Context

As usual, the truth is more complex than a soundbite.

Tribes Vengeance

I'm playing the beta. And it rocks.

Bush surrenders

Man, what a flip-flopper. And Kerry looks French?

TIME Magazine: The Case Against Him

As usual, Kinsley hits it right on the nose:

Against a backdrop of great events, even a mediocrity can seem great for a while. After Sept. 11, there was certainly a great flurry of activity. War on terrorism was declared. An actual war was started in Iraq and still goes on. A Department of Homeland Security was founded. Various American freedoms have been suspended. More than $100 billion has been spent. At the rate things are going, the toll of American lives lost responding to 9/11 may exceed the toll of 9/11 itself. The toll of innocent foreigners is higher already.

But what has it all amounted to? As the most powerful nation in the world, we have managed to track down and kill a few members of al-Qaeda. No more airliners have been flown into skyscrapers in the three years since 9/11, but then that was true in the three years before 9/11 as well. Are we safer from terrorism than we were before?

Bush invites McCaininto 527 'court action'

One problem with Bush's complaint: MoveOn isn't a 527, but a fully regulated political action committee. That means they disclose their sources of funding and are subjected to donation limits. Running a non-affiliated negative ad doesn't make you a 527.

Not again...

Hoodwinked - Why is Florida's voting system is so corrupt?

Bush Urges Muting of Ads

As usual, Bush misses the point. Negative ads are not the problem -- it's called "free speech" and "debate." I'm sure Bush would much prefer a race in which his lousy record was off-limits. But that's not how the free market of ideas works.

The problem with the Swift Boat Liars Club ads is that they're plain, on-their-face false. They're a cheap smear, and Bush should condemn them. Do MoveOn and Micheal Moore take cheap shots against Bush? Of course they do -- and Kerry has criticized them when the situation called for it. Why can't Bush do the right thing?

That's right, folks, no connection

Bush Campaign Lawyer Is Advising Swift Boat Group, AP Reports

Freedom? Iraqi coach disputes Bush's claims

The president may want to reconsider that rumored Olypics photo-op.

Hardcore karaoke

Last weekend Andrea, I and some friends spent our evening here, singing cheesey songs to a live audience of about 30-or-so people and an Internet audience of about 12 people.

The cyber element was a weird twist to the whole karaoke experience -- you can read comments from a dedicated chat room as you're singing, and after you're done, can use the in-house terminal to defend your performance. Some of our friends were still there when I got home, so naturally, I hazed them online. After the bar closes, the Web site replays past performances, so we got to watch ourselves the next day.

Who would have imagined this 10 years ago?

Scumbags

Bush, his familyhave many ties to Swift Boat vets: "The veterans%27 group behind the controversial TV ads that question Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam war record has extensive ties to President Bush and his family, other high-profile Texas politicians and Bush's chief political aide -- ties that have raised questions about possible illegal coordination between Bush's re-election campaign and the group."

And I thought I was a Stars Wars freak

Welcome to H-Wing.Com!

Since you're here, I'll assume you're interested in checking out my 1995 Honda Civic del sol, the sporty roadster I've turned into an earth-bound version of a Star Wars starfighter.

Nobody Killed Kenny

I love it when people sign me up for conservative newsletters. It's so funny -- and original.

The Bush recovery continues!

Job Growth Meager, Markets Stunned

Another good point about SUVs

The law is rarely enforced, but most are illegal on California's residential streets.

Worse yet, the rest of us are subsidizing SUV drivers and the damage they do to the streets -- both in taxes and damage to our own vehicles.

Rumsfeld to be rebuked

But how can this be? Bush said he was doing a "superb" job.

Kerry's speech

I'm watching it now via the Internet, so I can't say how good it was yet. But NBC's news team seemed to like it.

And you gotta love that opening line.

Drudge posts fake photos

This is why the right-wind gossipmonger will never be the real journalist he so deperately wants to be.

His Photoshop retouching may seem a trivial thing, but it shows a couple of pretty big things about the Drudge-packer:

1) He steals other people's work without credit or payment. Yes, this from the same group that lambastes the poor for being lazy and dishonest.

2) He doesn't value truth, and is willing to post false photos as news. This is a big journalistic no-no. Concepts like bias, balance and fairness are subject to interpretation, but posting fake photos is a cut-and-dry issue. If he knowingly posts fake photos over trivial stories, how can we trust his so-called scoops? How many other fake photos has he posted?

3) He's stupid. If you're going to flip a photo and change the color of the traffic light, remember to also change the color of the cross-street light. That way, the photo doesn't show green lights in all directions. Also move around some of the other objects, or change the color of one of the cars.

What a chump.

UPDATE: Apparently he's taken the photo off the site. No correction. No apology.
DEVELOPING...

Why do Republicans hate America?

Sen. Shelby the subject of probe on 9/11 intelligence leak

Memo to Ann Coulter, and for that matter, Investor's Business Daily's editorial writers: of you're looking to call someone a traitor or accuse them of sedition, here's as example of something that actually fits the definition.

Birthday musings

A few milestones passed this week, and with a few big work deadlines past me, I can finally write about them.

July 15 was the second anniversary of my getting laid off from the Business Journal. As devastating as it was at the time, I’m happy to report that I’m better off financially and career-wise now than I was the day before the layoff.

As of this month, I’m free of long-term credit card debt, which was about $12,000 two years ago. And I have built up the recommended emergency savings of about four months worth of expenses vs. no savings at all two years ago. Now I can focus on saving for a home and retirement investing. I was laid off from a weekly, local newspaper with a sub-10,000 circulation. Now I work for a national daily with a circulation of almost 300,000. I’m making less money than I was — which kind of sucks in this housing market — but I’m better exposed and poised for bigger positions than I was before. And it’s nice to have tech firms scrambling to get MY attention for a change.

July 19 was my birthday, and I’m officially kicked out of the 18-34 age group. Which is probably appropriate, since I don’t watch much TV anymore or throw around money. I can see why advertisers don’t like old people. One of Andrea’s gifts was a computer game, if you can believe that. It’s the first PC-related gift she’s ever bought me.

And July 20 is the 35th anniversary of the moon landing. Still no rocket car. Sigh.

How to stop this page from popping out IE's sidebar

Select Internet Explorer's "Options" menu and click the security tab. Click "resticted sites," and add "http://*.tripod.com" to the list. Disable Javascript in the restricted zone if it's not already.

The other option, of course, is to switch to FireFox, which is quite good these days.

Sorry it's come to this, but I figured Tripod would disable the "feature" once they realized how annoying and useless it is.

We make pasta! Here's a picture of our homemade pasta-making adventure, as I test Blogger's new photo-posting tool. 

Free Gmail accounts

I have a few invites I can dole out to the first takers. E-mail me here. (This is a temporary address I'll delete once I've given out all my invites. So if your e-mail bounces, they're all gone.)

Yahoo Buys Web E-Mail Firm

Good news for Yahoo mail users. It's about to get a lot cooler, in an obvious counterswipe at Google's Gmail.

This is why competition is a good thing.