Linnwood's Notes

Links for February 20th

del.icio.us — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:50:50 +0000

Who is Raul Castro, Cuba’s new leader? - Brother of Fidel may choose to adopt the “Chinese model” - less economic restraints, but with political control
Lindsay Lohan Recreates Last Nude Photo Shoot of Marilyn Monroe — New York Magazine - “The Last Sitting”
Ending Tradition, NBC Dismisses Fall Debuts - NBC Universal?s move to a year-round schedule of staggered program debuts could alter an American cultural cycle that dates to the days of radio.

Links for February 14th

del.icio.us — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:43:50 +0000

Hearts of Darkness - Trendy paternalism is keeping Africa in chains.
Ten things that won’t change (no matter who gets elected) - A list of things you can be sure won’t be too different in 2009
Senior benefit costs up 24% - The cost of government benefits for seniors soared to a record $27,289 per senior in 2007

Links for February 11th through February 12th

del.icio.us — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:33:49 +0000

Obama Unplugged - Lost without a Teleprompter
Should conservatives back Mac? - The anger that greets the Arizona senator might be more justly directed somewhere else: at President Bush
Lent fast re-branded as ‘Christian Ramadan’ - “The image of the Catholic Lent must be polished. The fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent”
Al-Qaeda leaders admit: ‘We are in crisis. There is panic and fear’ - Last year’s mass defection of ordinary Sunnis from al-Qaeda to the US military ?created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight?. The terrorist group’s security structure suffered ?total collapse?.

Links for February 4th through February 8th

del.icio.us — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:32:11 +0000

Majority of Hill Stands Against D.C. Gun Ban - Members to File Friend-of-the-Court Brief in 2nd Amendment Case Before Justices
More Fun Than Root Canals? It?s the Dental Vacation - “Even with travel expenses, she paid $6,000 less than the $21,000 price a local dentist had quoted for the work.” Amazing how a market lowers prices…
Muslims claiming cash for numerous wives - Canada is recognizing Islamic polygamous unions, and giving out welfare checks accordingly.
Inspiration vs. Substance - The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is.
Study: Ethanol may add to global warming - Studies showing the benefits of ethanol in combating climate change have not taken into account almost certain changes in land use worldwide if ethanol from corn become a prized commodity.
The Sun Also Sets - Not every scientist is part of Al Gore’s mythical “consensus.” Scientists worried about a new ice age seek funding to better observe something bigger than your SUV ? the sun.
Clinton’s ‘35 years of change’ omits most of her career - The overall portrait is of a lifelong, selfless do-gooder. The whole story is more complicated ? and less flattering.

Links for January 29th through February 3rd

del.icio.us — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:52:41 +0000

Crackup? Not So Fast. - Calm down. The GOP’s demise isn’t as imminent as some would have it.
Dip Once or Dip Twice? - A scientific report, inspired by an episode of ?Seinfeld,? may cause football fans to take a second look at that communal bowl of dip.
Mysterious Traveler Entrances Town With Utopian Vision Of The Future - An enigmatic man appeared in Hastings, NY, beckoning people to join his quest for a world free of despair as he shook hands and kissed newborns.

Links for January 28th

del.icio.us — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:43:45 +0000

Value of U.S. House’s Carbon Offsets Is Murky - Some Question Effectiveness of $89,000 Purchase to Balance Out Greenhouse Gas Emissions
He Tells It Like It Is, Even to Larry David - J. B. Smoove stretches the limits of his comedic alter ego as Leon Black in ?Curb Your Enthusiasm.?
Winging It - John McCain has a golden opportunity to make peace with conservatives. Will he take advantage of it?

Links for January 25th through January 27th

del.icio.us — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:45:47 +0000

TV Critics Admit To Never Having Watched The Wire - “It sounds fantastic. I really wish I had HBO.”
Federer’s Grand Slam run ends in Aussie rout - Djokovic sweeps Swiss in semis after 10 straight Slam final appearances
Turning the Triple Play - Let?s imagine that we had three conservatives who said exactly what was on their minds.

Links for January 22nd through January 24th

del.icio.us — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:45:47 +0000

Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation - Geroge Washignton’s List
Bill Clinton: ‘Screw It, I’m Running For President’ - Clinton told reporters Tuesday that seeing so many “Clinton ‘08″ posters “really got [him] thinking,” and said that the fact that he was already wearing a suit, and smiling and waving on the campaign trail was an added motivator.
Why Republicans Fear Obama - If he performs against the GOP like he has against Hillary in South Carolina, there could be blood in the water.

Links for January 21st

del.icio.us — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:32:40 +0000

Taking liberties - Once again, personal choices are under attack by good-for-you government.
‘Sarkozy of Arabia’ Sending Troops to the Gulf - France?s new deal with the United Arab Emirates to build military bases in the Persian Gulf should be taken seriously.
In Praise of Melancholy - American culture’s overemphasis on happiness misses an essential part of a full life
Conservative Populism - Rightly understood
Chavez threatens banks over farm loans - Venezuelan president warns he’ll seize private lenders who fail to meet government lending requirements.
Waiting for Straight Talk - There is a place in American politics for moralizers who think in such Manichaean simplicities. That place is in the Democratic Party, where people who talk like McCain are considered not mavericks but mainstream.
Belarus jails Prophet Mohammad cartoon publisher - Three years in jail under the guise of hate speech laws.

Links for January 18th through January 19th

del.icio.us — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:36:18 +0000

Sonoran officials slam sanctions law in Tucson visit - Mexican politicians are unhappy with the flood of unskilled poor Mexicans coming in to their country. Irony is a bitch.
Government renames Islamic terrorism as ‘anti-Islamic activity’ to woo Muslims - More newspeak in the United Kingdom
Naval Academy Rite Might Slip Away - “We’re going to send these guys to war but they can’t climb a monument because they might get hurt?”

Links for January 17th

del.icio.us — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:43:14 +0000

The case against Hillary Clinton - Why on earth would we choose to put the Clinton family drama at the center of our politics again?
Obama’s spiritual mentor - Powerhouse Chicago preacher draws attention, and plenty of controversy
Who Says 60 Million Americans Live on $7 a Day? - Annie Jacobsen searches for the truth behind this dubious statistic and finds a tangle of shoddy analysis along the way.
The Raw Deal - A review of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, by Amity Shlaes
Taliban overrun military fort in South Waziristan - Reports indicate a force sized from 400 to 1,000 Taliban fighters, indicating a battalion- to brigade-sized assault force.
Who Wrote Ron Paul’s Newsletters? - Libertarian movement veterans, and a Paul campaign staffer, say it was “paleolibertarian” strategist Lew Rockwell
Jessica Simpson Completes Elaborate Plan To Destroy Cowboys’ Season - “And then I saw Tony. Instantly I knew that he was the weak link, the keystone, the only one for me to exploit.”

Links for January 15th through January 16th

del.icio.us — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:32:02 +0000

The Wonderful, Despicable Life of Roger Clemens - During a quarter century in the public eye, Roger Clemens never met a truth he couldn’t bend or a person he couldn’t blame for his own failings. A timeline.
The Real McCain Record - Obstacles in the way of conservative support.
Reality TV Is No Lightweight in the Battle to Outlast Strikers - For the moment at least, the antistrike strategy of replacing scripted entertainment with so-called reality series seems inspired.

Links for January 13th through January 14th

del.icio.us — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:49:37 +0000

Brian McNamee reveals more info on Roger Clemens to investigators - Now that Clemens has sued him for defamation and has mounted a ferocious attack on McNamee, “stuff is pouring out of him.”
Cloudy Fortunes for Conservatism - The center of the right does not hold, and so we see an army with many flags and many generals and nobody knows who goes with which.
Sorry, Barack, You?ve lost Iraq. - Bush’s efforts to negotiate a long-term U.S-Iraq pact may remove troops as an ‘08 election issue for Obama, Clinton.

Links for January 10th through January 11th

del.icio.us — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:36:16 +0000

Media Rooting for an Obama ‘Tragedy’? - In the wake of Barack Obama?s strong showings at the polls, the media are fantasizing about racist hicks who would rather shoot a black man than see him become president.
Showdown Looms Over Pirated-Media Directory - Swedish Prosecutors Target Organizers of Pirate Bay
Inflationary threat looms as tide of cheap Chinese goods dries up - Growing numbers of economists are sounding warnings that rising cost pressures and wages in China mean that it may be starting to export inflation.
How to live forever - It looks unlikely that medical science will abolish the process of ageing. But it no longer looks impossible
Government Report: Millions of Youth Use Cough Syrup to Get High - 3.1 million kids are Robo-Tripping
Drunkest Driver Ever? - Oregon woman nine times over state blood alcohol content limit
Study Says Glaciers Formed During a Very Warm Period - Giant glaciers formed about 90 million years ago during a warm period when alligators thrived in the Arctic, researchers said, calling into question the belief that all ice melts in a ?super greenhouse? climate.
Death Across the Border Awaits Horses Spared It in the U.S. - ?My worst nightmare has happened. This is an example of well-intentioned but very bad unintended consequences.?
Europe?s school books demonise enterprise - Studnets on the Continent are being taught anti-market propaganda
CBS News Implores Pols To Reach “Hipster Voters” “Mad Fast” - Unintentionally hilarious “news” video on how to talk to The Kids
Back Down in Little Rock - Eugene Fields and an old familiar feeling.

A What-Ray?

Steve — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:03:57 +0000

Supposedly the latest format war is all but over. Warner Bros. has aligned itself with Blu-Ray, leaving only three studios releasing exclusively in HD-DVD. While Toshiba, the main backer of HD-DVD, says they will go on, the writing is on the wall.

I don’t have a dog in this fight. Oddly I haven’t really been paying much attention, so I really have no opinion of which format is technically better. But I will say that as someone who once made his living from selling home theater products Blu-Ray winning is a headache.

I’ve sold nearly every time of consumer electronics there is to sell. A large part of sales, at least in my experience, is educating the customer. “Why would I want one of these?” “Why is x better than y?” etc. This is why Blu-Ray is a frustrating branding, and it will hurt the adoption of the new format.

You would be hard pressed to find a person who does not know what a DVD is. Digital Video Disc. DVD was one of the fastest adopted consumer technologies ever. While not as universal, a very large percentage of the population knows what High Definition or HD is. So slap together HD-DVD and no explanation is needed. It is clear what it is, and what its benefit is over normal DVD. Compare that to Blu-Ray. “Blue” isn’t even spelled correctly. And why as a consumer should I care about the color of the laser? “Blu-Ray” tells me nothing, as a comparison shopper.

I am not saying this is a a major problem or something that can not be overcome. It is just frustrating that after years of educating consumers what these terms means, that Sony throws them out the window for some rather silly brand name.

Links for January 9th

del.icio.us — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:44:13 +0000

Tough calls in transplant case - A Northridge teen dies shortly after her insurer reverses its refusal to pay for a treatment it called experimental.
Does Cigna Deserve All The Blame? - Was there a liver for Nataline Sarkisyan?
Is Len Pasquarelli Too Old to Cover Sports? - The “journalism” of ESPN
Great (American) Expectations - Barack Obama shows why foreigners consider us naive.
Michigan sees fewer gun deaths — with more permits - No peer-reviewed study has ever shown that crime increases when jurisdictions enact carry concealed laws

Links for January 8th

del.icio.us — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:34:05 +0000

See No Good - Why do the Democratic candidates refuse to acknowledge progress in Iraq?
Angry White Man - The bigoted past of Ron Paul.
Identity Crisis - There’s something pathetic and embarrassing about our obsession with Barack Obama’s race.
Putin’s role model - The power-grabbing Russian president has an ?ideological ally? he?d like you to meet: FDR
Hold the Pork - Congress allocates money for nearly 9,000 new earmarks. But no law says Bush has to spend it.
They Can’t Handle the Truth - The Democrats and the surge.

Links for January 7th

del.icio.us — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:35:45 +0000

A Union of the West? - Edouard Balladur, the former French prime minister whose Gaullist establishment credentials stretch back 40 years, says the United States and Europe ought to form an organic alliance, a Union of the West.
Who Will Control Your Thermostat? - The state of California is seeking to mandate thermostats the government can control via FM signal, in order to turn your heat down or your A/C up during an “emergency event.”
Demographic Crisis, Robotic Cure? - Rejecting Immigration, Japan Turns to Technology as Workforce Shrinks
Israel Says It Will Toughen Response to Longer-Range Fire - Israeli security officials said Sunday that a rocket with a longer range than usual fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza into the coastal city of Ashkelon on Thursday had been made in Iran.
Scratch Bloomberg?s Surface, Find a Democrat - ?If you want to place him in the spectrum of American politics, he?s a liberal Democrat on all the major litmus test issues, and he?s a liberal Democrat on taxing and spending,?

Links for January 5th through January 6th

del.icio.us — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:37:33 +0000

How to Assure an SRO Event? Shrink the Gym. - On the trail with Hillary Clinton
Congress Calls on Clemens and 4 Others to Testify - Roger Clemens, his former trainer Brian McNamee and three others will be asked to testify under oath before a Congressional committee on Jan. 16.
Machine Girl Trailer -

Links for January 3rd

del.icio.us — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:33:03 +0000

They?re Not That into Him - Netroots vs. Obama.
Becoming Cary Grant - “I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be and I finally became that person. Or he became me. Or we met at some point.”
A Toast to the New Year, Serious Eaters: Tangerine, Campari, and Soda -
List of baseball jargon -
Black-on-Black Thought Crime - Review of: Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal
A New DNA Test Can ID a Suspect’s Race, But Police Won’t Touch It - As rational as it may be, is no match for the emotions that surface with any pairing of race and crime.
The Angriest Man In Television - How David Simon?s disappointment with the industry that let him down made The Wire the greatest show on television?and why his searing vision shouldn?t be confused with reality
The Bleakness of The Wire - David Simon thinks he?s constructed a critique of capitalism, but in fact he?s prepared an elaborate, moving brief for despair and (ultimately) indifference.
What’s the Matter With Iowa? - The caucuses are anything but a Norman Rockwell exercise in small-town democracy
The Iowa Scam - The undemocratic caucuses are a terrible way to choose a presidential candidate
The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2007 -
Keys to the Kingdom - On the set of the new Indiana Jones movie

Links for December 26th through December 30th

del.icio.us — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:37:12 +0000

Separation Anxiety - Divorcees are bad for the environment. Do environmentalists care?
The great fall of China - Revised GDP calculations show that Beijing isn’t the giant we thought it was.
Dear Diary, I Think I’m in Love - The confessions of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
The Amateurs’ Hour - Is the Internet destroying our culture, or is it just annoying our snobs?
Benazir Bhutto - Killed by the real Pakistan.
The Résumé Factor: Those 8 Years as First Lady - Hillary Rodham Clinton seemed to learn more as first lady through osmosis than through decision-making.

Links for December 21st through December 23rd

del.icio.us — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:40:37 +0000

Senior Qaeda Theologian Urges His Followers To End Their Jihad - One of Al Qaeda’s senior theologians is calling on his followers to end their military jihad and saying the attacks of September 11, 2001, were a “catastrophe for all Muslims.”
A Teenage Terrorist Tells His Story - Many of the insurgents building bombs and carrying out attacks in Iraq are hate-filled teenagers. Diya Muhammad Hussein, 16, is one of them.
Bad Huck - The unhinged correspondence of Mike Huckabee

Links for December 20th

del.icio.us — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:49:22 +0000

A Reading Program’s Powerful Patron - Mary Landrieu’s earmark corruption
Traffic jam mystery solved by mathematicians - Mathematicians from the University of Exeter have solved the mystery of traffic jams by developing a model to show how major delays occur on our roads, with no apparent cause.
Baptists Not on Board - Because no Republican candidate since Pat Robertson in 1988 has depended so much on support from evangelicals, opposition by Huckabee’s fellow Southern Baptists is significant.
Cruise into the Sunset, Saddam-style, with the Dead Dictator’s 269-foot, $34M Yacht - It’s absolutely perfect for the billionaire weirdo or budding Bush-hating autocrat on your holiday list.
Lethal Weapon - Could Romney’s Gun Position Kill His Campaign?
LA City Council Thinks Poor People Are Too Dumb to Make Food Choices - The council is moving ahead with a plan to ban fast-food restaurants: but only in the low-income parts of the city.
The 50 Greatest Independent Films - Empire’s Ultimate Indie Line-Up
Fertility rate in USA on upswing - The fertility rate among Americans has climbed to its highest level since 1971, setting the country apart from most industrialized nations that are struggling with low birthrates and aging populations.
Regulators Clear Google-DoubleClick Deal - FTC Clears Google’s $3.1 Billion Purchase of DoubleClick
Man of Letters - Dear Mr. Buckley, cancel my subscription.
British Drivers who use mobile phones face jail - Motorists in the UK caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving could be jailed for two years under tough new guidelines issued today by prosecutors.
Congress’ energy bill phasing out traditional light bulbs - Newer bulbs cost more to buy but less to operate

This Moron is my Congressman

Steve — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:24:23 +0000

Jim Moran, who while accusing American troops of ethnically cleansing Iraqis is also known for his anti-Semitic statements, is my Congressman. Yes, this is the type of idiot Northern Virginia sends to Congress.

Links for December 19th

del.icio.us — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:36:55 +0000

Mohammed now second most popular boys’ name in Britain -
Twilight of the Books - What will life be like if people stop reading?
A Tale of Two States - What sells to Iowa evangelicals may not necessarily sell to South Carolina’s.
Pelosi?s Omni-Defeat - The Democratic legislative rout.
Time is running out - literally, says scientist - A Spanish scientist suggests that the universe’s end will come not with a bang but standstill.
Ground Zero memorial delayed 2 years - By 2010, the cobblestone-filled plaza surrounding the memorial pools would be “nearly complete.” The entire memorial, museum and pavilion would be finished by 2011.
Extremist group operates openly in Pakistan - Jamaat ud-Dawa is listed as a charity, but the U.S. say it trains terrorists.
The Case Against Ron Paul - Stephen Bainbridge on the Congressman from Texas
Venti Capitalists - A look at Starbucks as a corporate juggernaut. Book review by P.J. O’Rourke
Death Ray Replaced By The Voice of God - There are now rumors in Iraq of a devilish American weapon that makes people believe they are hearing voices in their heads.
Edwardian Reality - The myth of the two Americas.
Fat Chef, Thin Chef - We count calories in dishes from Batali and Keller — and compare both against a Big Mac
I’ll have what she’s having - We all want to be stronger, fitter, leaner, brainier, more flexible and well balanced. But can a mass-produced, laboratory-enhanced diet improve on meat, veg and blueberries. Welcome to the superfoods of the future.
The Perils of Huckaplomacy - Don’t know much about foreign policy.
Instant Sex - And the sad demise of romantic love.
Huckabuchanan - Mike is a kinder, gentler Pat?at a moment when populism is more potent than ever.