Sovereign Bank Took $40 From Me!

Sovereign Bank took $10 out of my Savings Account this month, four different times, when my Checking Account balance went to $0. They call it a SWEEP FEE.

Ok, maybe I didn't read the little booklet they sent me, which said their policy changed this month, but $10 per transaction seems a bit high to me.

These people use computers, right?

So tell me why do they want to charge a good customer $10, to transfer money from one account to another, when needed?

Do they actually have people sitting on stools, at high desks, using quill pens, to perform these transactions?

That would help to explain the high cost.

I don't think they do it that way, but who knows?

If Soveriegn Bank considers themselves my financial partner, I want a divorce.

Anonymous Moblogging Project

Send pics directly from your camera-phone to pics@mobog.com and they'll be displayed at http://www.mobog.com/ within 1 minute.

Can you moblog without a camera-phone?
via [ boingboing ]

The Fish, the College Co-ed, and Airport Security

Sensing a chance for comeuppance, Trey put on his "stone-cold-supportive-protector" face and said with great dramatics, "You know what ... we flushed him. We flushed him because you made us [pause for effect]. You killed my girlfriend's fish. No, you made her kill her fish ... Happy holidays."

It's a sad state of affairs when you can't take your fish-in-a-plastic-bag onto an airplane.
via [ Jack ]

National Security

Martin Lawrence was pretty funny in this movie.

He's funny in a lot of movies.

This one took the buddy cop idea and just replaced his normal partner, Wil Smith, with that other guy, Steve somebody.

Wil must have been busy making some mega-million dollar blockbuster.

Has anyone seen Bad Boys II? How was it?

No. 9 PARK

Tom Brady was seen eating here tonight.

All the buzz was about the girl he was with. Not a blonde, as some had expected, but a brunette with a plunging neckline.

I killed the buzz when I suggested that it was probably his sister.

Ha!

Larry David to Star in The Producers?

Mel Brooks invites Larry to star with Ben Stiller in The Producers, only to see Larry refuse to shake his new co-star's hand after Stiller sneezes into it.

Ha.

Romper Room Lady Beaten, Mirror Stolen!

One of the program's trademarks was its ending, when King would hold a hand mirror in front of her face and recite in a mellifluous voice the following incantation: "Romper, bomper, stomper, boo, tell me, tell me, tell me do…." After some brief special effects, which consisted mostly of swirling colors, the camera would show King holding the frame of a hand mirror and looking through it to the camera. She would then recite the names of children whom she pretended to see watching ("I see Mary and Tom and Jeff and all you boys and girls out there.")

Our version of Miss Mary was Miss Jean.

Wil Wheaton is still upset that his version, Miss Nancy never saw him.

Back in 2001, I replied to Wil:

I was watching that day too! When she said, "I see Steven", I ran into the kitchen to my mother yelling, "She saw me in my pajamas!" I was very upset.

My mother had no idea what I was talking about until I told her that Miss Jean just saw me.

Another time, I was watching Jack LaLane with a friend and we were doing the exercises. Again, we were just little kids. We were having a great time and laughing. At one point he looked into the camera and said, "Hey, you two, stop laughing."

We were amazed and ran into the kitchen to tell my mom.

We really believed it happened!

via [ Electric Venom ]

FBI issues alert against almanac carriers

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the almanac-bearers
and I did not speak out
because I was not an almanac-bearer.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

--Pastor Martin Niemoller

Found over at [ Fark ] via [ bloggerheads ]

FOX's new 'My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance' series to premiere January 19

No, really.

It's a new Fox show.

Only there's a catch...

Boston Area Warehouse Store Secret Shopper Price Comparison

We recently got a membership to BJ's Wholesale Club and wanted to determine how the prices compared to Costco, where we are currently members.

Here are the prices of some of the items we checked in each store:



Looks like the difference is in the sauce, if you've got a coupon, and you're counting pennies.

I think it all comes down to the location of the store and the variety of products they stock. Both Costco and BJ's are nearby.

I'm new to BJ's and it seems, at first glance, that they have a larger food selection.

Which one do you prefer?

Create a Meal at McDonalds

Make believe you are at McDonalds, drag your food onto the tray, and watch your Calorie, Fat and Carb counter increase with each selection.

Make mine one packet of croutons, to go.
via [ hatchetation ]

Steve Stamps

Create a full sheet of custom stamps using your own image.

Tim Horton: Hockey Legend and Fast Food Icon

Part Two: The curious legacy of the Toronto Maple Leafs' greatest defenseman.

Tim Horton drank too much and had marriage and family troubles. Like most players in the '50s and '60s, he was treated with contempt by his employer and took summer jobs to make ends meet.

The rise and fall of Canada's doughnut king.

Demystifying John Edward of Crossing Over

I have a feeling that you are going to click a link with your mouse.
via [ Ultimate Insult ]

People are Walking the Central Artery

Walking the Central Artery.

Drumline

I liked Nick Cannon in this movie.

What I want to know is, what did the tape that he got in the mail, have to do with the ending of the movie?

Was the music used in the final scenes?

Gallery of 45rpm Beatles picture disks

Hey, Hey, Hey!

We didn't get these in the US.

Doesn't matter anyway, I don't have my General Electric record player anymore. Mine was green.

45rpm picture disks were released in the U.K. by EMI to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the original single.

Yah, Yah, Yah.
via [ Coudal ]

International Gallery of Stephen King Book Covers

I never saw this cover for The Stand before.

The Stand is of my all time favorite Stephen King books.

I don't know what any of the books after Christine are like, since I was so scared starting that one, that I stopped reading it half-way through, and never read another.
via [ Coudal ]

Matt Kennedy Gould Eats Lunch With Shawn Hatosy

In this Pittsburgh Post Gazette article I read that Matt Kennedy Gould had lunch with Shawn Hatosy.

I have no clue who Shawn Hatosy is. He was in a bunch of films that I didn't see.

I also learned that Jenna Morasca and Ethan Zohn are seeing each other.

Jenna was on Survivot 6, which I'll admit, I didn't watch much of.

New England Patriots!

No Huddle.

No Backfield.

Brady leading rusher!

I've never seen anything like it!

Go Pats!

TLC :: Rides -- Codename Daisy

With a '57 Chevy as the graphic on the show's website, I'm going to have to tune in.

WHAT IS THE DIARY OF A DEAN-O-PHOBE?

It's not entirely clear to me why I've taken such an intense dislike to Howard Dean. Yes, I find him arrogant and frequently dishonest. Yes, I'm certain his nomination would lead to a political disaster of historic, and possibly biblical, proportions. And, yes, I'm continuously dumbfounded that a number of highly intelligent people I know have convinced themselves that his nomination is a good thing, or at least that it's not an unambiguously bad thing. But somehow the whole of my loathing for Dean is greater than the sum of its parts. So I've decided to start a blog on TNR 's website to indulge that loathing.

I don't like Dean either.

NFL Considering Switch To Flag Football to Reduce Concussion Threat

"Everybody's in unanimous agreement that you should not have an individual play in a contact sport if he is still [having] post-concussion symptoms. There isn't a shred of evidence that condones playing."

With many quarterbacks getting hurt this year, maybe the NFL should switch to Flag or Touch football?

Look Who Showed Up For Christmas: Linux!

While wrapping gifts yesterday I noticed that in addition to the standard Tree, Candy Cane and Snowflake, a version of the Linux Penguin showed up!

Penguins are showing up everywhere!

Happy Holidays!

Sam Adams Salmon

No food in the house!

Time to try out a new recipe!

Let's see, I have some salmon and some beer.

Filet of Salmon Octoberfest
Salmon
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Stove To Stuffing with melted butter as a topping

Bake 350 degress, uncovered for 25 minutes.

Results of tonight's taste test:
It's great!

My mother in law says, "Delicious!"

Jack calls it SALM adOMs.

Belkin Has Bad Packaging

Belkin, you are very bad company, a very bad company.

Why do you package your products in a way that requires you to use a jackhammer to open them?

Probably some type of theft protection.

I examined the package for your 6-port Firwire hub before opening it, but could see no way to get it open without destroying the heavy duty 865 mil plastic.

My bad feelings about destoying your package were confirmed when I just went over to the Apple store to return the hub.

First an Apple Genius had to confirm that the hub was not broken, not a problem.

Then I got the bad news that there would be a 10% restocking fee!

I asked the Apple store clerk if I would have been charged a 10% restocking fee if the package was consumer friendly and I wouldn't have had to destroy it to open it.

"We probably could have waived the fee," he said.

Ahh.

So my wrath is directed at Belkin.

Here's a lump of coal for yor stocking Belkin.

Your theft deterrent copy protection RIAA like scheme has injured an honest consumer.

Christmas Blog Awards 2003 winners

Off on a Tangent received an honourable mention for cutest Christmas decoration.

Thanks!

What's Up Doc?

Doc Searls links to me about my post where I said, "I feel like I'm the proofreader for all the media that comes into the house."

Hi Doc!

Hi Doc Searls readers!

We'll set those media people straight.

Hey, wait a minute, we are media people.

Phuc Lee: One of Eight Boston 'Average Joes'

What the Phuc?

The New Average Joe TV show, which starts up again on January 5th, has chosen eight guys from Boston to be included in the group, that will be portrayed as a bunch of dorks, while trying to win the affections of Larissa Meek, an artist and former Miss USA contestant.

Phuc that. ( Dr. Bloom's favorite phrase in the Channel 101 show, Time Belt )

Ha Ha.

Just kidding.

I'll be watching.

Transition Trouble: Final Cut Pro 4

A fellow Final Cut Pro user was having trouble with transitions. Here's part of the message I left for him on the Boston Final Cut Pro User Group Message Board:

There might be a lot of video prior to the out point in the viewer window, BUT you need to have a handle after the out point, in the viewer window, for half the length of your effect.

Hope that helps.

The Atlantic | December 2003 | The Bubble of American Supremacy | Soros

Note to self: Read this when you get a chance.

How To Give The Last-Minute Gift of Blog

Cool gift idea!

Print Shop for Mac: What's new is old.

Quicken's TurboTax for 2004 came with a free version of The Print Shop for Mac.

For Macintosh® OS X, The Print Shop® for Mac® requires the Classic Environment for installation and operation.

Thanks for nothing.

Bush in 30 Seconds: Bush Knew Rap [ QuickTime ]

Cool.

My poor experience with the Apple store staff

I called over to the Apple store and asked if the La Cie dvd drive comes bundled with Toast 6 Titanium now like it says on the La Cie website. The Apple store guy says yes it does.

Ok, next I ask for a Firewire cardbus adapter for my powerbook.

He says they don't have them but they have an external Firewire 6-port hub that works.

So I go over there and someone helps me, we get the La Cie drive and he says, "do you want dvd's with that?"

Must have just got off his shift at Mcdonalds?

Sure give me a 5 pack.

So he does and I notice on the label it says 2x. I know Ravi told me the La Cie is fast so I ask how fast. he does not know and Looks at the box. 4x he says and then asks if i want the 4x dvd's ?

Ah, yes....

So then he shows me the 6-port Firewire hub and takes my stuff to the register.

I now look around.

Ah ha, they have a Firewire cardbus adapter even though the guy on the phone said they didn't.

Hmm...

I go to checkout and ask, "now does this dvd come with Toast 6 Titanium?" The guy reads the box, "yeah it has Toast, let me check." Another guy walks up, he says that it has to have a Toast 6 label on it. He's seen boxes with that label but not in this store.

So I left with only the 6-port hub.

Where's the store genius when you need him?

Is TiVo Really All That Great? - WSJ.com [ subscription required ]

Ah, yes.

TiVo is really that great.

In the Wall Street Journal today there's an article, by Ron Lieber, that talks about Tivo. There's a misleading quote in there.

When the hard drive fills up, the systems make up their own mind about what to delete (ususally the oldest recordings).

Hello?

Dear Ron,
If systems are making up thier own minds about performing tasks, why hasn't that story made the front page of your newspaper?

Notify Ray Kurzweil that his lifelong dream has been accomplished!

I guess you don't own a TiVo or didn't talk to someone who does, and understands how it works. You are in control of deciding what shows get deleted by a little thing called programming.

You go on to talk about Jose Valentin who, "returned (his TiVo) ... when it failed to record a show he wanted to watch."

Hmm, if I had to guess, I'd say it was a user problem vs. a TiVo problem.

I feel like I'm the proofreader for all the media that comes into the house.

Can't these people get their facts straight?

Apple Doesn't Just Slap their Name On Products

In the Wall Street Journal today there's an article by Gary McWilliams that talks about computer companies getting into the consumer electronics market.

There's a misleading line in there. It says:

Apple Computer Inc. and others are now slapping their names on digital gadgets.

Hello?

The article then goes on to discuss Apple's iPod.

I'm pretty sure that Apple didn't just slap their name on the iPod.

Know what I mean?

Making the cut: Little did I know what my nephew’s bris -day honor would entail

You can sugarcoat the event with all the Hebrew words, ritual, and good deli platters you want, but when you get right down to it, the bris is brutal business.

Funny article.

But it had a few errors:

The ceremony, which takes place on the eighth day after a male’s birth, is performed by someone in what has got to be the world’s most dubious profession: the mohel . A mohel is a man who circumcises babies. All the time. Not, like, as a side thing, on weekends. No. This is a full-time gig.

A Mohel can be a woman too. A female Mohel performed a bris on my friend's son, and during the day she's a urologist, so it's not always a man and not always a full-time job.

No anesthesia is used for a bris. Just a wine-soaked towel. My dad’s job was to administer the towel at key moments.

Wrong. Anesthesia used. A lot of it in fact. It's a topical anesthesia.

They're selling watches.

But, who cares?

Bush in 30 Seconds: A laundry list with a twist

This ad is great.

Even though it is in competition with mine.
via [ bloggerheads ]

EXCLUSIVE: Saddams last blog entry prior to capture

Saddamblog 8pm: modest hiding chamber, outside Tikrit
Dear true believers
This may be my last post to the Saddamblog. The infidels are at the gate, I can smell their bacon and ham products coming nearer.

vis [ Paige's Page ]

Downspouts Disconnected

Terry and the Boston Water and Sewer Downspout Disconnection team came over and disconnected all my downspouts from discharging into the sewer system.

What a team.

The first guy cuts off all the cast iron connections and the second guy follows along installing extended downspouts.

Terry follows up with a final clean up and takes a picture.

My new downspouts are famous!

My Beetle Is Dead

The lights are on but nobody's home.

D'oh.

Tobin merge unnecessary

After decades of jockeying for position in a limited number of lanes, drivers coming from the Tobin Bridge need not merge into Interstate 93 south traffic at the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.

North Shore drivers rejoice at the news.

The Tobin merge was once the most dangerous piece of roadway in the United States.

By, Bye Tobin Merge, we won't miss you.

Hussein Was Held by Kurds Before U.S. Capture

Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. troops only after being held prisoner by Kurdish forces, who had had drugged and abandoned him.

Waiting to see if this is really true.

BlogPulse

It lives!

Buy Nothing Christmas '03

Final Cut Pro 4: How to Delete the Preference Files

One more tip in the journey to remove the beachball from FCP4.

Big Dig Nightmare: Storrow Drive Exit After Tobin Bridge Onramp GONE!

This is the biggest nightmare of the Big Big.

It's worse though, because more than being a simple nightmare that isn't real when you wake up, this nightmare is real and exists during both the daylight and nightime hours.

The Storrow Drive Exit After the Tobin Bridge Onramp GONE!

North Shore drivers, look closely at today's Boston Globe page B6. You've got NO WAY TO GET ON STORROW DRIVE from Route 1 South and the Tobin Bridge!

NO WAY!

Have fun trying to navigate the new EXIT 24-A (Gov't Center, North End, Aquarium, Faneuil Hall).

I tried it this morning at 1:15 AM and it was A NIGHTMARE.

That area is a mess of taxi cabs and red lights during the day.

The next thing you'll see is the filming of Lord of the Rings Part IV over there because of all the fighting between good and evil that will be going on between cars, SUV's and Taxi cabs.

Good bye to a smooth ride onto Storrow Drive forever.

Update: Brian tells me, in the coments, that access to Storrow Drive is still available from the Tobin Bridge.

Whew.

I was scared there when I didn't see the old exit on 93 South.

Thanks Brian!

For these pioneers, it's one for the road

The Globe gets the story right!

With a caveat in the print version on page B7: Trip is history, though unofficial.

At 8:24 a.m., Anne and Nick Najjar were officially recognized as the last to use the elevated 1-93. But Jain and Economou waited even longer.

At 9:41 a.m. the old, beaten Artery was as quiet as the moon. Economou put the car in drive, crawling forward at 5 miles per hour as Jain stuck his torso out the window and waved farewell to the city. "Bye-bye FleetCenter. So long blue sky," he yelled.

"I'm just trying to soak it in," said Economou. "The past is merging with the future."

Soon to be a made for TV movie I'm sure.

It has everything, joy, laughter, tears.

Coming home by Chris Wright

Accused murderer Shawn Drumgold was sentenced to life without parole in 1989. Last month, his conviction vacated, he walked free. The story of this former drug dealer offers a glimpse into the gray area between guilt and innocence. For Drumgold, it raises a single overwhelming question: What now?

Read on...

Who are Anne and Nick Najjar?

Anne and Nick Najjar were not really the last people over the Central Artery.

Anne and Nick Najjar were the last to drive over the double-decked elevated southbound I-93 highway, scene of a major bottleneck every weekday morning, and onto the old Central Artery.

"It's exciting. It's been a long time," she said, as a throng of TV cameras focused on her. She said she was going to Boston to get her hair done.

With a short statement that crackled over two-way radios at 8:24, the Artery was declared officially closed as an interstate highway, although traffic continued to flow onto it from Storrow Drive until late morning.

So I guess they weren't really the last.

TRANSPORTATION PIONEERS TRIUMPH -- LAST ON BOSTON'S ELEVATED HIGHWAY

Ravi Jain and Stefan Economou, perpetual transportation pioneers, made history once again on Saturday when they were the last car to drive on the elevated 93 highway over Boston. Joining the two intrepid travelers in Economou's 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Custom Cruiser was Sonia Targontsidis, a photographer and videographer. Peter Demarco, an independent journalist writing for the Boston Globe, and Laurie Swope, a freelance photographer hired by the Globe, traveled with the band of pioneers as they slowly traversed the empty highway.

I took my first trip over the Zakim Bridge Southbound tonight from the North.

It's exciting and all, but they've done away with the Storrow Drive Exit!

Now to get over to Boston Common, you've got to cut through Faneuil Hall Marketplace and wind your way behind the Statehouse!

There must be a better way!

Transportation Pioneer Ravi Jain: Boston Globe City & Region Article Today

My friend Ravi made it onto the front page of the Boston Globe's City and region page. There's a huge photo of him and Stefan Economou.

There was an unmistakable air of sadness in Stefan Economou's Somerville dining room as he and Ravi Jain contemplated their last Big Dig hurrah.

Boston's self-titled "Transportation Pioneers" have achieved a measure of fame -- particularly among the nerdiest of the enthusiasts who follow the drama of the Big Dig the way others follow soap operas. They were the first to cross the Leverett Circle Connector and the first to exit the northbound Liberty Tunnel. They mounted a motorcycle and wormed their way into being the first to cross the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.

With the southbound tunnel opening today, they're looking for a "last." They want to be the last to drive over the decaying elevated artery. Dubbing the stunt "Final Flight," a play on the centennial of the Wright brothers' first flight, the duo planned to don pilot's hats and goggles and, in a Cutlass station wagon, begin a long, slow loop of Somerville roads at dawn, hoping to maneuver into position to be the last car allowed onto the artery before it closes forever. "It's so strange to us how nobody else is excited about these milestones," Economou said. "You'd think people would be lined up for these events, but they're not. I suspect Big Dig fatigue."

Some poke fun at them. But they take their role in history seriously.

"It's not a joke; there's a legitimacy to all this," Jain said. "This whole project is coming to a close, and we have had this prior relationship with this project, so it's kind of our way of saying goodbye. It's a little sad."

Watch for them on the WB News at 10 tonight, and listen for them on Matty in the Morning on KISS 108 FM, Monday at 8:00 AM!

Best quote from the article:

The pair have raised a few eyebrows over the years. Jain's girlfriend thought he was insane when they met in 2000.

"We were riding the 39 bus together from MassArt to Jamaica Plain, and I asked him, `So, what do you do?' " Sonia Targontsidis recalled. "He said, `I'm a transportation pioneer,' and I thought, `Oh, I hope this guy doesn't follow me home.' "

Ha!

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | The best of British blogging

Apparently Nothing got a mention!

Jeremy Allaire is excited about the Convoq ASAP Public Beta

This product has been in the making for well over a year, and is a powerful demonstration of new convergence trends we're experiencing with the Internet -- social networking, VoIP, video messaging, broadband, instant messaging, and many others.

Gotta check this out.

I Robot: The NS-5

The world's first fully automated domestic assistant.

This is so cool.

Duncan Goodhew Interview

Motivational speaker and Gold Medal Winning Olympic swimmer.

Ricky Gervais says that Duncan, who is bald, used to draw a black line around his head instead of wearing a swimming cap.

Ha.

Lindsayism.com Temporary Vacation Spot.

This is the vacation home of lindsayism.com

Bush on Phantom WMD: "What's The Difference?"

He said it.

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Cake

This recipe is going around and we made it.

It's great!

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Cake
350 degree oven
10" spring form pan or bundt pan well greased

Mix together until well blended

1 box choc cake mix (devil's food)
8 oz sour cream
box of instant choc pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water

Stir in 6 oz of mini choc chips

Pour into pan. Bake 1 hour.

Chocolate Glaze
Looks like curdled milk while making it but after 5 plus minutes it all gels together and is like a choc pudding consistancy when done.

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs. corn starch
1 oz (1 square) of unsweetened chocolate
sprinkle of falt
1/2 cup water

Cook in a nonstick sauce pan on stove, constantly stirring. When it all comes together and no longer looks gross, take off heat. Add

1 1/2 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir until butter is melted. It will be thick like choc pudding. Spread on cooled cake. If desired, decorate with nuts, sprinkles or whatever before it hardens.

The cake can also be served without glaze. Can be served with whipped cream or powdered sugar instead.

Golden Globes: It's Ricky Gervais and Tony Shalhoub in a Tie!

Actor, Musical or Comedy Series:
Ricky Gervais, "The Office"; Matt LeBlanc, "Friends"; Bernie Mac, "The Bernie Mac Show"; Eric McCormack, "Will & Grace"; Tony Shalhoub, "Monk."

According to me, the Golden Globe Best Actor in a Comedy Series award is a tie between Ricky Gervais and Tony Shalhoub!

Musical or Comedy Series:
"Arrested Development," Fox; "Monk," USA; "The Office," BBC America; "Sex and the City," HBO; "Will & Grace," NBC.

Another tie, between The Office and Monk, in the Best Comedy Series.

Ha!

WZBC Top 90.3 of 2003

The best of college radio in Boston for 2003.

Clark's message: 'Go Pats'

Wesley Clark has a new TV ad that's going to be shown during Saturday night's Patriots game.

"We as Americans know what it takes to be great," Clark says in the ad, as the camera closes tightly on his face. "It takes leadership. It takes teamwork. It takes spirit, and sacrifice, and commitment . . ."

"And let's face it, you have to be strong on defense," he continues, as the camera pulls back to reveal that he's wearing a Patriots sweatshirt. "You also need to be strong on offense. And having a heck of a quarterback doesn't hurt."

He concludes, with a little smile, "We are all Patriots."

Go Clark!

Go Pats!

Happy Chrismukkah

It the combination of Christmas and Hanukkah!

Now that the practice of celebrating both holidays has been mentioned on that ever so popular TV show, The O.C., Jay set up a web page to spread the word.

I'll take this opportunity to spread the word about Hanukkah Joe. I'll have to go look up my hebrew school drawings, but I remember creating him and his jet powered menorah. Hanukkah Joe sits high on top of the Menorah and all the presents fit in the other eight candle holders.

It's time to take the Christ out of Chrismukkah!

18 year old blonde stripper has a chance

Catie Anderson is an 18 year old stripper, one of the contestants for America's Top Model, Season 2.

I'll be watching to see how she does.

Oh yes I will.

Big Dig Finished

On Saturday, the new I-93 South tunnel and the southbound side of the Zakim Bridge open.

Will my friend Ravi be the first one to drive over the bridge and into the tunnel?

Let's read his news release to see:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2003

TRANSPORTATION PIONEERS TO TAKE "FINAL FLIGHT" OVER BOSTON

One hundred years after Orville and Wilbur Wright first took flight, Ravi Jain and Stefan Economou, stalwart transportation pioneers, will embark on the "Final Flight" on the elevated I-93 highway, before it closes permanently over the weekend. The two Boston men made international news in January by being the first regular passengers through the I-90/Massachusetts Turnpike extension and followed that up with a controversial photo-finish first over Boston's Leonard P. Zakim bridge in March. Jain and Economou will navigate Economou's 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Custom Cruiser over the city, clad in flight goggles, scarves and jackets.

He might not be first, but he could be last.

New southbound tunnel ready to open.

Big Dig officials say the last cars will travel over the half-century old Central Artery sometime tomorrow morning, and then southbound traffic will be allowed onto the Zakim bridge and into the new tunnel.

Maybe they'll write a song about it?

Central Artery is falling down, falling down, falling down,
and Ravi was the last one to ride it.

Curt Schilling Enters the Alex Rodriguez vs. Player's Union Debate

'As a player, if Alex Rodriguez wants to go to the Boston Red Sox, I can't imagine the players' union stopping him from doing that,' Schilling said yesterday in a phone interview.

Stupid union.

Welcome to Comcast Double High-Speed Internet!

Comcast says that they just doubled my download speed for free.

If you're a Comcast user in Boston and want to double your download speed, unplug your cable modem for 30 seconds.

People are talking about it over here.

Let's check over at Broadband Reports:

I went from
1780 kbps / 280 kbps
download / upload

to

2546 kbps / 238 kbps
download / upload.

That doesn't seem like a doubling in speed.

I'll test again later to see if the numbers change.

Update:
2258 kbps / 234 kbps
download / upload.

2403 kbps / 236 kbps
download / upload.

Hmm, an upward trend in downloading and a downward trend in uploading.

Ha.

Iraq key?

I like that title.

How To Make A Great Presentation

Jack points us to this great article by Doc Searls on how to make a great presentation.

Clap, Clap, Clap.

Thank you.

Friendly's: HOW DID JIMMIES GET THEIR NAME?

On the back of the Friendly's bill it used to have a little story:

HOW DID JIMMIES GET THEIR NAME?

One day it was Jimmy's birthday, so his mother put some shaved chocolate on his ice cream.

When his brother saw this, he asked for some too.

His mother said, no, you can't have them, they're Jimmy's.

He allegedly attacked him with a shod foot

I didn't get picked to be on the criminal trial today.

I never knew what a shod foot was.

I probably should since I have one with me every day.

I didn't even get as much reading done as I had hoped.

The Wall Street Journal was interesting, as was Amplifier Magazine.

Bush Lied in 30 Seconds

My ad: Bush Lied, is now up on the Bush in 30 Seconds website.

Jury Duty 101: Tips For Getting Out or Serving

I'm reading a book in the courthouse today.

You Draw Straws

Randomly make a selection from a number of choices.

Me: What movie should we see this evening?

Computer: Go see The Matrix Revolutions. A computer I know is in it.

Comcast Got Something Right.

In today's email from Comcast they say:

To view your latest Comcast billing statement, go to http://www.comcast.com/payonline .

They finally fixed their emails. They didn't include the '.' at he end of the URL.

Answerbag.com - All the FAQs you can use

"A compilation of human knowledge and experience."

12/15, 17:21 You are in a space ship traveling at the speed of light. You turn on the headlights. What happens to that light?
12/15, 08:21 I have corrupted data on my PS2 memory card, and it won't erase. Do I have to buy a new one?
12/15, 05:04 What is spam?
12/14, 21:21 What is a "key grip"?
12/14, 19:39 Is Marisa Tomei married?

That's funny. I was just wondering the same thing?

My Answers:Spaceships do not have headlights.

Solve PC problems by buying a Macintosh.

Spam is a tasty food product and a tasteless form of junk email.

A key grip grips the keys.

Marisa Tomei is hot.

Dennis Kucinich for President - Marijuana Decriminalization

A Kucinich administration would work to implement a drug policy that removes responsible recreational users and medical users of marijuana from the criminal justice system.

The criminal justice system is really for criminals anyway, isn't it?

Chess Boxing

The match starts with four minutes of chess, followed by two minutes of boxing, then chess again, and boxing, etc; max 6 rounds chess, 5 rounds boxing.

via [ The Agitator ]

Just in time for the holidays!

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like some red and green bagels.

Oy!

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Republican BABE-of-the-week

via [ whatevs ]

The RICHARD NIXON - ELVIS PRESLEY Meeting December 21, 1970

Now you can see all the pictures from White House photographer Oliver F. Atkins, Roll # 5364.

50 Cent and I are In Da Club

50 Cent may well be the gene-spliced combination of 1980s-peak Eddie Murphy and Mike Tyson.

WBCN was playing In Da Club during the Patriots broadcast yesterday.

Catchy.

Andy Richter and I are Best Buds

He loves TiVo and The Office.

So do I.

How "real" is 'The Simple Life'?

So ... the bottle-filling, the delivery deadline, the devious filling of the bottles with water ... every bit of the scene ... was all play-acting by Paris, Nicole and Danny.

Ah ha.

The reality of The Simple Life is not real.

It's a Picture Frame and an LCD Monitor

I wonder if the "It's a dessert topping and a floorwax" people will be upset.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is losing a little off the fastball already.

This week, they made over a guy who used to be in the marines. He was in shape physically, and seemed to have his act together in general. The only problem with him I could see was his apartment was a bit disorganized. His entire physical makeover consisted of something they applied to his face the purpose of which wasn't clear to me. That was it. No haircut, no eyebrow waxing, nothing. The guy even already had two suits! Come on!

Ha!

AMG All Music Guide

I'm told that this web site has everything you ever wanted to know about any musical artist.

Saddam Hussein has been arrested in Tikrit

He must have been caught while protesting the Occupation Authority.

Kim Davis: Curiouser and Curiouser

So, after protesters stormed the Iraqi Governor's office, he resigned. ( Note to President Bush, nothing to get excited about, just one of those "focus groups" you made fun of a year ago. )

So the Occupation Authority ( note to sales department: consider marketing of Distrust Occupation Authority bumper stickers ) appointed someone else governor. Meanwhile, the Focus Group said, well, what we really had in mind was that we chose a governor. Because, you know, like, democracy and all.

Meanwhile, half of the Iraqi Army has quit.

Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Occupation Authority Has Got To Go!

Boston Has The Best Light At Dusk

Yesterday at dusk was perfect for shooting a music video.

Joshua and I were on top of a roof down near fenway to shoot local recording artist Eliot Wilder.

We were shooting a video for his new song My Story [ mp3 ].

The lighting was perfect and we had a really nice shot of the city in the background. It was a two camera shoot. At one point in the shoot while Joshua was getting some wide angle shots, I was doing some hand held stuff and really concentrating on the images I was recording through the viewfinder.

All of a sudden, I had a thought, "I'M ON TOP OF A ROOF!" So I immediately stopped walking and looked around. I wasn't near the edge of the roof, but I could have been. Yikes.

Pepto-alka-tum

Ellen mentioned Turducken in the opening monologue for her show this morning. I think the audience thought she made it up. She added that for dessert you would then have 'pie filled with cookies inside of a cake', and then finish up with a pepto-alka-tum.

Funny.

50 Shekel - The Jewish Hip Hop Artist

In Da Shul.

Oy.
via [ information leafblower ]

BlogAfrica News and Discussion

BlogAfrica is a project designed to increase the numbers of people blogging in and about Africa and to increase the visibility of weblogs about Africa.

Gothamist

Must start reading.

The Simple Life Gets Flak'd

The Simple Life" is the closest thing TV has come to emulating " The Mao Tse-Tung Hour " in the brilliant 1976 satire Network . In the movie, famous for foreseeing much of the trash television we now take for granted, a desperate-for-ratings fourth network starts a reality show featuring a group of revolutionaries that film their own robberies.

I'm still watching.

Wind Speed Converter

Handy.

RE: Holiday Party

This is just one of a string of emails regarding the holiday party:

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: October 04, 2003
RE: Holiday Party

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party- or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work? Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from The dessert buffet and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms. Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table. To the person asking permission to cross dress, no cross-dressing allowed though. We will have booster seats for short people. Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet. We cannot control the salt used in the food we suggest for those people with high blood pressure to taste first. There will be fresh fruits as dessert for Diabetics, the restaurant cannot supply "No Sugar" desserts. Sorry!

Did I miss anything?!?!?

Patty

Nope. I think you've covered it.

Your hit parade

Think of it as TRL for folks over the age of 11 (OK, technically 21, but you get our drift). On the second Thursday of the month - meaning tonight - Rivergods hosts a night called Ointment. The party features jocks from WZBC-FM playing the 20 most played songs of the month. And before and after the countdown, DJs spin their new favorite tracks. All of this adds up to an evening of fresh sounds and a chance for you to branch away from your Eddie Money vinyl collection, if just for one night. The party starts at 9 with DJ Sarah spinning everything from Adult to Grandaddy. At 11:30, DJ Grace spins a motley mix from electro-lounge to punk.

125 River St., Cambridge, 617-576-1881.

ZBC Rocks!

WatchBlog: 2004 U.S. Election News, Opinion and Commentary

You've got your Democrats in one column, your Third Parties in another, and your Republicans in another.

I'm on WZBC 90.3 FM in Boston today from 3-5

Listen online.

Ask MetaFilter | Community Weblog

Ask MetaFilter is a discussion area for sharing knowledge among members of MetaFilter.

An Open Letter to Nomar

To: Nomar Garciaparra
From: Bryan Adams
Subject: Shut-uppa-you-mouth
cc: Arn Tellem, Evil Sports Agent

I Feel Like Nobody Really Likes Me...

Fruitcake.

A monorail for Springfield? He's kidding , right?

Snack food of the day: Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Phil discovers the joy of eating snack cakes meant for his 4-year-old.

Today I've got an afternoon meeting. Dare I bring this snack to the meeting? You bet. This is a snack food cake worthy of putting your career on the line.

"Phil, did you bring enough for everyone?"

U.S. Soldier Shot Dead in Northern Iraq

Transcript: Democratic Presidential Debate in Durham, N.H. (washingtonpost.com)

SHARPTON: Well, I think that -- I think all of us have an opportunity to beat Bush if we do not break and chase away from our party the people that we're going to have to mobilize to come out.

What I start hearing today is dangerous. That's why I didn't raise my hand.

Al Gore went to New York today. He should have noticed Tammany Hall is not there anymore. Bossism is not in this party. To talk about people ought not run and that people ought...

(APPLAUSE)

... to get out of this race is bossism that belongs in the other party.

We waited four years after some of us were disenfranchised, some of us in Duvall County couldn't vote, so we can express ourselves. And we're not going to have any big name come in now and tell us the field should be limited and we can't be heard.

(APPLAUSE)

The Republicans shut us up four years ago. Al Gore -- no Democrat should shut us up today. Let the people decide on the nominee. Bossism shouldn't happen.

I know that Governor Dean and Al Gore love the Internet; www.bossism doesn't work on my computer.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

Works on my computer, if you add '.com'.

www.bossism.com

Fortune.com - Intro - Meet The New Market Makers

It's the most recent Fortune Magazine article about Adam Mesh.

Adam's Bar's Guestbook.

Chimera Capital - Adam's Day Trading company.

Chimera FAQ:

8. Do I receive a salary if Chimera Capital hires me as a trader?
a. No. Chimera’s traders are paid on performance only. Compensation is based on each individual trader’s net profit and loss.

9. What happens if I lose money?
a. Chimera’s employees are never responsible for negative balances.

10. What hours do Chimera’s employees work?
a. New traders work from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
b. Typically, experienced employees work from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

11. Do I need to have my own money to trade with?
a. No capital contribution is required for new traders

Interesting.

'The Bachelor' staying single

Andrew Firestone and Jen Schefft from The Bachelor have broken up.

Oh no. Not Andrew and Jen!

Cameron Barrett: American Hero.

Cameron in USA Today.

Task Force 121: Capture or Assassinate Baathist Insurgents.

Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker has all the details.

The new Special Forces operation is aimed instead at the broad middle of the Baathist underground.

But many of the officials I spoke to were skeptical of the Administration's plans. Many of them fear that the proposed operation, called 'preëmptive manhunting' by one Pentagon adviser, has the potential to turn into another Phoenix Program.

Phoenix was the code name for a counter-insurgency program that the U.S. adopted during the Vietnam War, in which Special Forces teams were sent out to capture or assassinate Vietnamese believed to be working with or sympathetic to the Vietcong. In choosing targets, the Americans relied on information supplied by South Vietnamese Army officers and village chiefs. The operation got out of control. According to official South Vietnamese statistics, Phoenix claimed nearly forty-one thousand victims between 1968 and 1972; the U.S. counted more than twenty thousand in the same time span.

Some of those assassinated had nothing to do with the war against America but were targeted because of private grievances.

I thought that we were supposed to learn from history and not make the same mistakes.

Audio: Manhunt in Iraq: Israel Trains U.S. Assassination Squads. Seymour Hersh on Democracy Now!

Who decides this election—you or Al Gore?

Gore endorsed Dean today.

"Democracy is a team sport," he declared as he endorsed Dean in Harlem this morning. "All of us need to get behind the strongest candidate."

Who decided Dean was the strongest candidate? Not the voters: They haven't voted. Not the polls, either: They've shown Dick Gephardt, John Kerry, and Wesley Clark scoring better than Dean in hypothetical match-ups with President Bush. The person who anointed Dean the strongest candidate is the same intervening politician who complained three years ago about intervening politicians.

So What?

Who Cares?

Winterized Windshield Washer is 99¢ at CVS thru Dec 13th

They charge $2.50 at the gas station for the same thing.

Massachusetts Enhanced Emissions and Safety Test

***** Dror's Village Shell, 510 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132

Dror gets 5 STARS for customer experience. His staff was friendly and courteous. There's a waiting area inside the station.

All around a great experience. Much better than last year, which I won't get into right now because it's too painful to think about.

Dan French: What Works

Applying the scientific method to standup madness got this guy a job as a writer at The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn.

Dan French's Funny Planet.

Check out his sketch: News Tease.

JAMES

Good evening, James Edwards with your nightly news. Tonight police are frantically searching for a machete killer sure to strike again, and soon. Is he in your neighborhood? Stay tuned, we'll let you know.

BETTY

I'm Betty Fierden. A strange new virus that eats human flesh has been found at certain grocery stores in our city. We'll let you know which ones, a little later in our broadcast.

Click.

Half Bakery

Some of these ideas are half-baked.

Spiritual Porn Industry

Designated Christmas-Free Zones

Dial A Grandmother

Some aren't.