DYSPEPSIA GENERATION

We have seen the future, and it sucks.

Archive for May, 2008

Why wine tastes better with music

13th May 2008

Read it.

Perhaps because it helps to be soused when listening to what passes for music these days.

But that’s just me.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Why wine tastes better with music

New York Wants To Punish Criminals For Incriminating Selves On YouTube

13th May 2008

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It would seem that there is an IQ test in New York for running for political office — pass, and you’re disqualified.

Posted in Your tax dollars at work - and play. | Comments Off on New York Wants To Punish Criminals For Incriminating Selves On YouTube

India’s Hindu caste quotas edge towards private companies

13th May 2008

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My, what a surprise. Aren’t you surprised? I’m sure surprised.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on India’s Hindu caste quotas edge towards private companies

US Reportedly Ignored Iraq Corruption

13th May 2008

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Well, they ignore corruption in this country, why not ignore it in Iraq as well?

Posted in Your tax dollars at work - and play. | Comments Off on US Reportedly Ignored Iraq Corruption

Lord Chief Justice models new gown for judges

13th May 2008

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Where have I seen this before? Oh, yeah — Star Treck, one of those episodes where Kirk or Spock or somebody gets court-martialed.

He looks really happy to be wearing it, doesn’t he?

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Lord Chief Justice models new gown for judges

State Department Outreach to Terror Groups

13th May 2008

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And you’re paying for all this. Be proud.

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Washington Today

13th May 2008

Inside the Beltway.

Inside Politics.

Posted in Your tax dollars at work - and play. | Comments Off on Washington Today

Facebook Can Be Fun, But It’s Also Useful

12th May 2008

Read it.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Facebook Can Be Fun, But It’s Also Useful

Lumeta’s “peel & stick” solar panels can blanket a roof in under 35 minutes

12th May 2008

Read it.

And about time, too.

Posted in Is this a great country, or what? | Comments Off on Lumeta’s “peel & stick” solar panels can blanket a roof in under 35 minutes

Electricity-powered Datastorm data transfer device is retrolutionary

12th May 2008

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Information is power. Who could doubt it?

Posted in Is this a great country, or what? | Comments Off on Electricity-powered Datastorm data transfer device is retrolutionary

Nanohealing substance stops bleeding in seconds, vampires protest

12th May 2008

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Posted in Is this a great country, or what? | Comments Off on Nanohealing substance stops bleeding in seconds, vampires protest

Saudi Money for Harvard and Jimmy Carter

12th May 2008

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Money may not buy happiness, but it can rent Harvard and Jimmy Carter for a good long while.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Saudi Money for Harvard and Jimmy Carter

Young Saudis, Vexed and Entranced by Love’s Rules

12th May 2008

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And they can’t draw the obvious conclusion. None so blind as those who will not see.

Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on Young Saudis, Vexed and Entranced by Love’s Rules

How Defense Research Is Making Troops More Effective in Wartime

12th May 2008

Read it.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on How Defense Research Is Making Troops More Effective in Wartime

Detox

12th May 2008

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Megan McArdle points out some common threads of “alternative medicine”.

I love the ionic foot baths that use salt ions and your skin fat to create lye while telling you that the disgusting looking brown stuff is “cleansing your liver”.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Detox

Why Is The FCC Subsidizing The Least Efficient Providers Of Rural Telco Services?

12th May 2008

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(Is this a trick question?)

Posted in Your tax dollars at work - and play. | Comments Off on Why Is The FCC Subsidizing The Least Efficient Providers Of Rural Telco Services?

Cost of thatching up by 150 pc

12th May 2008

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Oh, no!

Wait for the enviro-nazis to mandate it.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Cost of thatching up by 150 pc

Even more on the minimum wage

12th May 2008

Megan McArdle has been discussing the minimum wage. This post is particularly excellent.

Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Even more on the minimum wage

The World vs Burma

12th May 2008

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Consider this tough talk from UN chief Ban Ki-moon: “I want to register my deep concern and immense frustration on the unacceptably slow response to this grave humanitarian crisis.” The problem is, something is only unacceptable if it’s not accepted. So, eleven days into the unacceptable, we’re still pretending that the UN is going to get around to caring about corpses that can’t be linked to the American military or the Israeli Defense Force.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | 1 Comment »

Burmese officials selling emergency aid supplies in local markets

12th May 2008

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Time to invade Burma?

Remind me what use the U.N. is.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | 1 Comment »

Speedboat crashes into Scottish golf course

12th May 2008

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We have the technology.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Speedboat crashes into Scottish golf course

Iraqi artists and singers flee amid crackdown on forbidden culture

12th May 2008

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Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on Iraqi artists and singers flee amid crackdown on forbidden culture

Pagan convicts allowed magic wands in cells

12th May 2008

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I am not making this up.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Pagan convicts allowed magic wands in cells

Stuff White People Like #99 Grammar

12th May 2008

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White people love rules. It explains why so they get upset when people cut in line, why they tip so religiously and why they become lawyers.

If a white person were to catch a mistake in The New Yorker, it would be a sufficient reason for a large party.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Stuff White People Like #99 Grammar

‘Short school lessons more effective’

11th May 2008

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Okay, new technique that differs from what everybody else is doing, and it demonstrably works —

Chances of it getting widely adopted: None.

Amount of time between now and when it is in general use: Approximately 100 years. And homeschoolers will have been doing it for 50 of them.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on ‘Short school lessons more effective’

One Hundred Thousand Dollars For Ideal Egg Donor?

11th May 2008

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I’d want to specify “No socialists need apply.” But that’s me.

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WARMING CAUSES FOODING

11th May 2008

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Great. When New York and Los Angeles go under water, we can move to Australia. They’ll have enough food for us.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on WARMING CAUSES FOODING

Palestinian Work Accident Watch

11th May 2008

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Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on Palestinian Work Accident Watch

The great organic myths: Why organic foods are an indulgence the world can’t afford

11th May 2008

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Also, organically reared cows burp twice as much methane as conventionally reared cattle – and methane is 20 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than CO2.

Huh. Organic food is … wait for it … bad for the environment. Who knew?

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on The great organic myths: Why organic foods are an indulgence the world can’t afford

Economists who have endorsed John McCain’s economic plan

11th May 2008

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Yeah, he talks a good fight, but talk is cheap — can he deliver?

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Economists who have endorsed John McCain’s economic plan

‘My daughter deserved to die for falling in love’

11th May 2008

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Abdel-Qader, 46, a government employee, was initially arrested but released after two hours. Astonishingly, he said, police congratulated him on what he had done. ‘They are men and know what honour is,’ he said.

Though her horrified mother, Leila Hussein, called Rand’s two brothers, Hassan, 23, and Haydar, 21, to restrain Abdel-Qader as he choked her with his foot on her throat, they joined in. Her shrouded corpse was then tossed into a makeshift grave without ceremony as her uncles spat on it in disgust.

This in an Iraq that is supposedly suffering under the Iron Boot of American Imperialism. Where are Dick Durbin or John Murtha when you really need them?

Your future under Islam. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Posted in Living with Islam. | Comments Off on ‘My daughter deserved to die for falling in love’

Lexicographical Longing

11th May 2008

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I still have my copy of the Compact OED. Wouldn’t part with it for anything. And the magnifying glass came in handy for many occasions, too.

Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Lexicographical Longing

Tony Stark’s Iron Man Dream Lab

11th May 2008

Read it.

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The World’s Spookiest Weapons

11th May 2008

Read it.

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Thefts Rise With Copper Prices

11th May 2008

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Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Thefts Rise With Copper Prices

Oil Company Profits

11th May 2008

Megan McArdle thinks so that you don’t have to.

Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Oil Company Profits

The Growing Wave of Teenage Self-Injury

11th May 2008

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I think teenagers ought to be encouraged to injure themselves. Saves the rest of us some effort.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on The Growing Wave of Teenage Self-Injury

Terrafugia hopes to showcase drivable airplane this summer

10th May 2008

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Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Terrafugia hopes to showcase drivable airplane this summer

Lebanon’s Third Civil War

10th May 2008

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Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Lebanon’s Third Civil War

Holistic moms shun commercialism

10th May 2008

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And reality, apparently.

Posted in You can't make this stuff up. | Comments Off on Holistic moms shun commercialism

Time to Invade Burma?

9th May 2008

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Invade? The international community cannot “protect” the Burmese people from a military government without employing military means.

And long past time, I would say.

The United Nations, of course, is not prepared to use force. So Burmese by the tens of thousands will perish.

Remind me what good the U.N. is.

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Time to Invade Burma?

Steampunk Moves Between 2 Worlds

9th May 2008

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Can you say “Mystamation”? If you can, and know what it means, then you’re an old fart just like me.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Steampunk Moves Between 2 Worlds

Volkswagen to produce 1-Liter car in 2010, should get over 200MPG

9th May 2008

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Aw, isn’t that cute….

Posted in News You Can Use. | 2 Comments »

E-Fuel’s Micro Fueler creates Ethanol from sugar in your backyard

9th May 2008

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“You can make a mainframe / from the things you have at home.” Jeez, I haven’t thought about that song in years.

Posted in You can't make this stuff up. | Comments Off on E-Fuel’s Micro Fueler creates Ethanol from sugar in your backyard

Bank of America’s We-Don’t-Need-No-Stinking-America Patent Application

9th May 2008

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“Want to ship American jobs overseas? Ask me how!”

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Bank of America’s We-Don’t-Need-No-Stinking-America Patent Application

Wilds Of World To Get Converted To Farm Land?

9th May 2008

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I can’t think of any place in Africa or South America that wouldn’t profit from a large influx of Chinese. Hell, I wish we had more of ’em here.

Posted in Think about it. | Comments Off on Wilds Of World To Get Converted To Farm Land?

Armed gang raid gym during police visit

9th May 2008

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Boy, those guys really look British, don’t they?

Posted in Dystopia Watch | Comments Off on Armed gang raid gym during police visit

Mexico’s Police Chief Is Killed In Brazen Attack by Gunmen

9th May 2008

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It has long been common for assassins to target local and state police chiefs in Mexico, but this year, cartels have been increasingly going after some of the biggest names in the federal law enforcement structure.

No wonder they’re crossing the border.

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Cringely explains it all

9th May 2008

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Microsoft has been under huge pressure from its hardware OEMs to dump XP, thus forcing millions of customers who have been avoiding Vista and Vista’s inevitable hardware upgrade to finally buy new computers. Dumping XP will help Dell and HP AND Microsoft, big-time. It won’t do anything for you or me, though, since Vista still sucks, but we obviously don’t matter.

Time to buy a Mac.

Posted in News You Can Use. | Comments Off on Cringely explains it all

Washington Today

9th May 2008

Inside the Ring.

Inside the Beltway.

Inside Politics. 

Posted in Your tax dollars at work - and play. | Comments Off on Washington Today