Jim's Notes

Auto Bailout Bullshit

Jim's Notes — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:14:40 GMT

Just a quick quip about the auto bailout passed by Bush; conservatives seem to be all about the free market until it fails. If the powers that be actually believed in what they preach, then there would be no bailouts. I am not saying that I disagree with the bailouts, but for conservatives to espouse free capitalism when it benefits them and flip-flop to the more realilistic stance that markets actually need regulation when their philosophy fails is pure hypocrisy. Here's to hoping that this economic downturn becomes a catalyst for better thinking.

I love it!

Jim's Notes — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:41:54 GMT

http://www.leekspin.com/

Make sure you have your speakers turned on.

I wish stumbleupon had an "I love it!" button, because I do. Oddly, I sometimes sound like this on the way home when there is nothing good on the radio.

The City of Books

Jim's Notes — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:10:32 GMT

Awesome!

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.
[via panopticist]

Orchids and Face Jugs

Jim's Notes — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:00:27 GMT

We went to Seagrove and ended up buying an orchid from Seagrove Orchids. But we left without any pottery. Next time.
Seagrove is famous for its pottery, especially face jugs (pictured below).

300th Post

Jim's Notes — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:52:14 GMT

Only took me two and a half years to get here. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Obama ad Creative Commons

Jim's Notes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:31:02 GMT

Obama has licensed change.gov under a Creative Commons license. Finally, maybe a politician gets it. From MojoBlog:

Who here is interested in the copyright standards of the Obama transition's web-based information, documents, and videos? Everybody, right? Excellent.

Open government advocates are cheering the fact that the Obama transition team has changed the copyright restriction on Change.gov to a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, which allows users to grab content off Change.gov, copy it, remix it, and distribute it without limitation. All users have to do is attribute the content to Change.gov. It is the freest possible version of a copyright and a step in the right direction.

Warning! Do not watch while under the influence... of anything

Jim's Notes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:22:05 GMT

Beck - Gamma Ray

The Burden of Carrying a Pocket Knife

Jim's Notes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:19:21 GMT

As a pocket knife owner, this is personal for me:

Ever since 9/11, pocket knives and their owners have been separated at airport security checkpoints everywhere, never to be reunited. According to the TSA, knives are prohibited, except "for plastic or round bladed butter knives." Who carries a butter knife in his or her pocket or purse? The TSA's unhelpful "Summer Travel Tips" says: "Pocket knives, self-defense sprays and other potential weapons are also prohibited." What a huge misunderstanding! Pocket knives are tools. If you consider them to be weapons, certainly they are Weapons of minimal Destruction (WmD).

Talk about sweating the small stuff, missing the forest for the trees, looking for love in all the wrong places. If pocket knifes are prohibited, why are nail clippers and corkscrews allowed? Why not allow an all-in-one pocket knife, which best prepares a person for any emergency? Especially, what with emergencies on the rise!

[From BoingBoing]

Also noteworthy, I've walked back to my car to drop off my pocket knife at many music venues. I loathe the day when I leave it behind when getting on a plane.

Finding Copernicus

Jim's Notes — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:19:49 GMT

This is cool.

Researchers said Thursday they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer's books.

The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and astronomer whose theories identified the Sun, not the Earth, as the center of the universe.

Makes you wonder who else they can find. Jesus? That headline would be great, "Scientific Researchers Find Jesus" [via Slashdot]

Our First Fire

Jim's Notes — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:12:21 GMT

It snowed here in NC today. Just flurries that melted on the ground, but it was pleasant. We built the first fire in our new home.