Kip Hawley is an Idiot. Can't say I disagree... Or he may be out of the loop.
[Via BoingBoing]

Look out the fucking window!

Can you disarm the bomb?

More than half the britons would rather have sex and die. At least, that's my reading of the article were it says:

The Mori research found that 40 percent would pass on the passion for longevity, although far more women (48 percent) were willing to make the sacrifice than men (31 percent).

I'm with them, I'd rather have lots of sex and die young. Of course, looking at the women response it looks doubtful that I'd be able too... But in that case, I'd rather die young too.

I confess it. I am a big fan of conspiracy theories. No, I am not mad. I do not believe them without evidence. But damn! they are fun... specially when you see so many pieces falling into place. Here is my favorite one. Some time ago, around 1997, after Clinton won his second election, three beaten leaders got together: Hugo Chavez, Osama bin Laden, and George W. Bush. They came up with a plan to do two things: Become leaders in their respectives parts of the world and drum up the price of oil to levels that would make all three of them, and their friends and family, a lot of money.

I repeat, I do not believe this crap, I just think it would make for an excellent novel.

Their strategy was damn simple. Osama bin Laden will attack the US directly becoming a military enemy, while Chavez will resurrect the leftist threat in the US backyard. There were some tough problems. Bush had to win an election, but they thought they could cheat their way to it. Chavez had to win the election, that was easy, consolidating power will be hard, but the US will attempt a coup and fail, giving Chavez the necessary uplift. They promised they would help each other. Even in incomprehensible ways. Venezuela will stay as an oil supplier to the US, even as it threats to quit. Promising even to sell them more in a crisis. bin Laden will not be captured or attack again in US soil if it is not needed... The US will do nothing against venezuelan interest in the US.

The movie would be a little long, but it can be made...

How else can you explain that in the middle of a midterm election, when even the conspiracy theory that Bush planed 9/11 is getting some traction, we see a video of bin Laden with 9/11 hijackers? They kept that video for how long? And why? Islam forbids anniversaries of non religious nature. And then, as if to put the icing on the cake, Chavez goes and help Bush' friends, by literally demonizing Bush! As they say in this article, asking for someone to answer Chavez:

They [the republicans] think Chavez helps them. See what we're up against? But that's not a response, it's a way not to respond. It doesn't help, because it doesn't even try to cool things down. Which is no good, because the temperature of the world is very high.

It does help! But I don't believe it could have been planed... Do you?

Three things happened almost simultaneously this week. On the one hand I broke an old Rotring that had the magic mechanism that you look at what you want before pressing the button. It had a pen, a stylus, a pencil, and a red pen. I took out what I thought could be used, in particular the stylus. Then I put my small blue Victorinox Midnite manager that has a pen, a red led, and other stuff in the laundry with the end result (after laundered and tumble dried) that the battery and its little cap fell off and the pen dried out (in the dryer I guess). Finally, my Inka pen arrived, and boy was I disappointed. The pen is light, but transforming it from the little tube it is to a full length pen takes time (it isn't worth doing for a signature). Also, the stylus is awkward to use, with no way to make it into a comfortable stylus. It can't be anything more than an emergency stylus or pen. Thinking about that concept I decided to hack the stylus from the broken Rotring pen into the Victorinox and it came out great! A small battery and everything in the knife is working again, just the lost cap is missing which isn't important. I guess it is worth it to buy Victorinox over Rotring or Inka... In the picture you can see the Inka Pen (disassembled) and the newly minted Victorinox Midinite Manager with Stylus. A unique piece.

I've been enjoying and reading Roughly Drafted for some time now. Very insightful articles. Anyone pretending to compete with the iPod should read this article. I think he gets everything right, the only thing missing is the confusion and difference between the main OS consumer (Business) and the main music buyer (people).

And I'm not talking about Seinfeild... the polar ice is melting.

New Theme Song! to celebrate that my server is up and running in its new connection. Still no redundancy in place, I'm working on it, but the UPS has been ordered! I'm happy. It seems that it is faster for people in the US... slower for people in Venezuela.

Chavez Calls Bush ‘The Devil’
President Bush “came here, talking as if he owned the world,” Venezuela’s president told the U.N. today. [NYT > Home Page]

And I thought I knew The Devil... What a disappointment.

Chavez warns against Iran attack
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez launches a robust defence of Iran's nuclear programme. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition]

A lot of changes in my bunker (undisclosed location). I've decided to get redundant Internet connections and another cable TV system. I'm putting a TV for the kids so it makes sense. Trying to write this post made me realize, I probably haven't mentioned here that I got an Xbox 360.

It is a nice system, though still some of the Microsoft nonsense remains. You can share photos or music, but not movies, but you need Windows for that (Why? ), for movies you need Media Center (again, why? ). Among tons of minor annoyances. This is nonsense and it only makes a good product less useful for customers. All in the name of protecting a monopoly (illegally) that nobody is threatening. The system is good, reminds me a little of the PSP. You enjoy it, but wonder what it could be if they were just trying to please customers. Not speaking of Sony, I will also get a Nintendo Wii. That way I will have a legacy TV with the Legacy Sony PS2 (just because we have a ton of games). A decent TV with the Mac mini (with the EyeTV to record), the Wii and both Cable systems (without premium channels). And a great TV with the best cable system, all premium channels, High Definition (720p only, maybe), the Xbox 360, and another DVR. What I will never get is a Sony PS3. Not after how they treated me last year. Sony is simply dead to me. They would have to do a tremendous transformation for me to consider them at all again. All the Sony stuff I have now I consider legacy and will probably get rid of soon.

I will try both connections for a while and decide if I can put one of them at a cheaper level. At some point, I will put a load balancer, but for now I'm thinking of doing a fail safe mechanism out of Applescript (ping google once an hour ten times, if the returns are 1 or less, switch to the other connection and repeat). By the end of the year I will get an UPS making my server fairly stable.

Venezuela appears only as number 9 on the list of the ten worst prisons in the world! Come on inmates! start killing!

And there is more where that came from.

In an amazing act of shutting themselves in the foot, Microsoft has decided the Zune won't play Windows Media Protected files. This is extremely stupid, even for Microsoft. They have lost a lot of markets for protecting Windows and Office, they have lost markets for a sheer inability to developed, and even in triumph (like the Xbox 360) they are stingy with non Windows users. This will make the Zune less attractive to the early adopters (burn me one, shame on you, burn me twice... You can't burn me twice! ). The product isn't out and Microsoft has lost two early adopters camps: Mac users and Play-for-sure early adopters... Pity the fools...

...instead of his usual mock turtleneck?
Maybe his head got too big!
tada-boom!

No, I'm not colorblind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind
just can't sleep on this tonight

Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's movin' in
I know I can't
But honestly
won't someone stop this train

Don't know how else to say it
don't wanna see my parents go
One generation's led the way
for findin' life out on my own

Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's movin' in
I know I can't
But honestly
won't someone stop this train

So scared of gettin' older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
to find a way to say that
life has just begun

Had a talk with my old man
said help me understand
He said turn 68
you renegotiate
Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
Don't think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John , honestly
we'll never stop this train

Once in a while when it's good
it'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
and you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
till you cry when you're driving
away in the dark
just singing

Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home again
I can't take the speed
it's movin' in
I know I can't
'cuz now I see
I'll never stop this train

(John Mayer)

Marilyn Monroe singing Venezuelan Christmass Carols... ("Niño lindo... ante ti... me rindo...")

I wasn't blogging. Luckily, others were...

Schumacher to retire
Michael Schumacher is to quit Formula One at the end of the season. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition]

Whatever you can say about Schumacher you have to say he is the best driver in the world. He has achieved more than anyone before him and I don't think I'll get to see a driver as good as him ever. yes, he is not perfect, he is even human! But that for me just makes it more interesting. He is the greatest! Thanks for the memories!

Alonso was the best racer, with a new engine in a very reliable car. From 10th place, after a harsh penalty, he was third behind Kimi and Schumy. But his engine blew up, something it hasn't done in a while. With that Ferrari is first in the constructor champions and Shumy is only two points behind Alonso. Exciting last three races!