See the Ipod Touch? It's nice and cute, and it has wi-fi. I can go to Starbucks, access the net, check my email, and do some newsvining if I wanted to with a 'touch. First, it needs more gigs. This is why I might pine for it in the meantime.
So apparently now may not be the best time to place auctions on ebay. With so many choices at the post office, a package could end up costing more than the winning bid!
Ouch.
I can't even access my local post office. With all the current construction right now, it's a wonder I even made it to Starbucks.
There's a conference right now on the Virginia Tech tragedy that occured yesterday, They're about to release new information about the gunman. They just confirmed that both incidents are related, and ballistics matched. They also have a person of interest.
I'm just stunned by it all. Notre Dame played against Virginia Tech my last year there. We barely beat them. It was a sign of a not so brilliant year in football. Hearing this now it's rather shocking to recognize the school, to hear something so horrible.
The shooter is allegedly a resident alien from South Korea. Why do I have a feeling that the media is going to go nuts over this?
It spread from a text message to the net. Suddenly, Anna was dead. I had never logged on to the internet to confirm something as I did with this, and wow will this be an interesting legal battle.
Anyway, I'm not dead. I'm trying not to get sick, but my allergies are trying to kill me. It's not cool. And suddenly blogging isn't as fun when impending doom is right around the corner.
There are all these myths out there that perpetuate this downside to being bilingual. Apparently, some people think bilinguals have a subpar vocabulary, and their intelligence is rather lacking, and it's generally just to their detriment. There is no room in the brain for two languages. Except it seems that bilingualism prevents dementia.
Canadian scientists have found astonishing evidence that the lifelong use of two languages can help delay the onset of dementia symptoms by four years compared to people who are monolingual.
Imagine what three languages could do or even four. I can picture it now. People will be rushing to become linguists. Parents will actually teach their children their native tongue. Klingon will become nationally recognized.
As for those myths, I found them on some website, and I can't believe that they even exist. Do people honestly believe that bilinguals have a lesser vocabulary? Please don't make me smack you.
Via Slashdot.
There are icicles outside my apartment. It rains, and then it jingles. It almost sounds like a key play when the opposing team is third and inches, and we as students (alumni) are asked to take out those lovely thinks and make some noise. I keep glancing at my window half expecting it to crack.
It's really cold outside.
I'm kinda loving it. I even went outside for a few minutes, and then I rushed back in because I couldn't feel my fingers. It was great! Cold weather is gorgeous. I just wish I were warm now.
I feel human again, and that feels great. I just had to lie on the couch all day and watch mindless tv with the lights off. A few brain cells were lost. Oy. And as I'm typing this it may not be clear, but I've deleted quite a few spelling errors. Foghead strikes again.
Migraines are evil.
I thought I had one last summer, but I'm thinking that was just a fluke. This one wasn't, and I didn't catch it on time. Why? I've become complacent perhaps? Lack of pain for close to a year = stupidity. The signs were there. I was just in lala land or something.
I'm too hard on myself.
I hate migraines.
I despise foghead more. I sound stupid.
By the way, the forecasters in San Antonio are going nuts. This cold front is sweeping in and we're supposed to get ice tomorrow and snow the next two days. Snow. White stuff. Methinks people will actually keel over and die. This doesn't include the people who die from the accidents that will occur from the crazy drivers. They'll see the stuff, freak out, and kaboom.
It's frozen water people. Drive slowly. Unless you are me who likes to do spur of the moment things like go down steep hills laced with sheets of ice, and oops am I skidding? Been there. Done that. Very stupid. Fun. But stupid. And I was in my scooter, not in a car. I could have tipped over!
My lesson is very cold weather is pretty, but cold and dangerous. And if it does snow in San Antonio, I'm so going to have to take pictures even though I've seen enough of that white stuff to last a life time!
Apple's iPhone. I was following the live updates on Engadget, and it really does seem impressive. The touchscreen capabilities alone scream ease-of-use, since the only thing it requires is a finger. Here's hoping the actual screen can handle wear and tear, because my lovely video iPod scratches too easily. The phone shouldn't.
The phones, which will operate exclusively on AT&T Inc.'s Cingular wireless network, will start shipping in June. A 4-gigabyte model will cost $499, while an 8-gigabyte iPhone will be $599, Jobs said.IPhone is less than a half-inch thin -- less than almost any phone on the market today. It comes with a 2-megapixel digital camera built into the back, as well as a slot for headphones and a SIM card.
Ah, exclusivity contracts. I love Verizon, which is why I won't switch, but they have the worst phones. And here again Apple is choosing just one carrier, but I doubt this will garner Cingular legions of new clients, what with that lovely price tag.
Then again it is income tax season. How many people would actually be able to save $600 plus for something that shiny? It's quite a wait.
For a mockup of the iPhone, its measurments, and how it compares to other gadgets, check out Kottke.
The FDA recently approved a new vaccine meant to prevent a virus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer. Now Texas wants to introduce legislation that would make it mandatory that the vaccine be administered to 6th grade girls. Truly innovative thinking from the lawmakers taking steps to save these girls, but this is Texas after all.
The vaccine called Gardasil is administered in a series of three injections over six months.More than 85 percent of all cases of cervical cancer are linked to HPV and the makers of the vaccine say it could virtually wipe out this cancer threat...
Van de Putte is sponsoring Senate Bill 110. She says since the Centers for Disease Control have put this new vaccine on its list ... a state law would be a way to keep some young women from falling through the cracks.
"What states can do to help encourage the compliance is to make sure that just like your measles and your mumps and your chicken pox. That it's in the set of vaccines that students must have before entering school," said Van de Putte.
Farrar is sponsoring the House Bill 215.
"I think people are going to have to open their minds and look at the science and the medicine and put that at the forefront," said Farrar.
The shot has not been without controversy. Some parents are voicing fears that the vaccine might encourage promiscuous behavior if young women felt they were somehow protected, but just like other school shots, parents would be able to officially opt out by applying for an exemption.
This one is definitely something to keep an eye on.
In the news overlooked last month Mr. President decided to tack yet another one of his signing statements to the new postal reform bill. He finally confirmed what some legal and political pundits have been hinting at. He's a dictator, or would like to be in the name of National Security.
President Bush says he and other government officials have the power to snoop through your mail without a judge's warrant.Bush made the claim last month in a signing statement attached to a postal reform bill. Bush wrote that the bill "provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection."
After last year's revelation of Bush's secret domestic eavesdropping program, the move caused waves on Capitol Hill among some legislators who said that it contradicted the postal reform bill, as well as existing law.
Signing statements are just that. They have no legal weight. He's not a judge, and he's not a legislature. Mr. President would love to invade his citizens' privacy a bit more, but his "statements" have no legal effect. Thank goodness checks and balances still exist.
Barely.
This is kinda creepy.
Less than 24 hours from now people will wake up with one thought on their minds, assuming that thinking is possible: why. Why does it hurt so bad! That pounding. Oh my goodness, is that light? Turn it off. I don't care if it's the bloody sun.
So on and so forth.
New Year's just wouldn't be the same without that special hangover -- jello shots here I come -- but what if there were a pill that could spare one's over indulgence for that nasty sustanance, and say, wake up on Monday morning all bright-eyed, etc? Cheers!
Experts say that it's never going to happen. Boo hiss.
So here's my advice. Get plenty sloshed. Don't drive drunk. Hydrate. Then swallow a couple of ibuprofen.
Happy New Year!
The Wizbang blog has the video of the execution and a picture of a very dead Saddam Hussein. I would link to it except that I think people have seen enough, and I certainly wouldn't want to lead anyone to a gratuitous image of a dead man. A dictator and murderer is dead. Why glorify that violence even if he deserved it? I have some respect for Wizbang, but I hate seeing images like these. Gloating never did anyone any favors.
Saddam Hussein has been executed. But wait! 2006 still isn't over.
A few years ago I saw a movie called Gattaca. It was haunting and prolific. It posed one simple question; what would society be like if parents could genetically modify their children? This wasn't just about changing a child's gender. The modifications were so intrusive that the new child would be free from disease. Except this in turn lead to a society where the "modified" were superior to the "unmodified," and a new class emerged.
It was a great movie that makes you think. Science has opened the door to many things, and fortunately it is eradicating some diseases. But should it be used to give them?
Three percent, or four clinics surveyed, said they have provided the costly, complicated procedure to help families create children with a disability.Some doctors have denounced the practice; others question whether it’s true. Blogs are abuzz with the news, with armchair critics saying the phenomenon, if real, is taking the concept of designer babies way too far.
“Old fear: designer babies. New fear: deformer babies,” the online magazine Slate wrote, calling it “the deliberate crippling of children.”
But the survey also has led to a debate about the definition of “normal” and inspires a glimpse into deaf and dwarf cultures where many people do not consider themselves disabled.
If families want to have disabled children, then I'm sure that there are plenty of orphanages and adoption agencies who would be willing to help. But why oh why would you want to cause a child such grief. You can't shelter them from the teasing, from the discrimination. And as much as they come to accept that they're normal, it will never stop the stares. Can you prepare them for that? It's downright selfish and cruel.
Genetics shouldn't be messed with, period.
Edit: The link has been fixed.
An amendment has been added to the rules governing the administration of the Texas Bar Exam.
An Applicant may take no more than five (5) examinations. [Amendment signed December 12, 2006] However, for good cause shown, the Board at its discretion may waive this limitation upon such conditions as the Board may prescribe.
The conditions aren't listed, so I'm assuming it could be entirely subjective as to who is and isn't allowed to retake the exam. They can think an examinee is ugly, and bar that person from taking the exam.
Maybe this is why I received this letter from the board. My disABILITY automatically disqualifies me from a 6th time, unless they thought I was going to use it as an excuse? Oh, poor me. I'm lame. You use and abuse me, but you so aren't going to beat me this time.
For the record, this is the worst written amendment I've seen in a while.
It's dying! My sony laptop is fading into hardware hell (once I'm done with it)! I can get an hour of runtime before it shuts down, and then the waiting game begins. Fortunately, Goodwill opened up an internet cafe for the disABLED. It supposedly has all these nifty gadgets that make surfing the web ten times easier. Frankly, I think the whole purpose behind the cafe is great and about time.
There's a Wii Revolution going on, and so far I'm not apart of it. I feel left out. Normally, this wouldn't bother me as much, but the Wii looks brilliant, and for once, I think I might actually be able to play the games thanks to the innovative remotes.
See, for the longest time I've had to sit on the side-lines. As new consoles came out, so did the new controllers, and well they were huge. It's hard to wrap your fingers across those suckers, and then most games require that you hit the A and B button simultaneously, but don't forget about the Z button which is on the bottom. Oh, and the Y and X buttons are on the sides, and they're important. If I wanted to play "Smash Brothers" I had to master all of them, and well with my hands, coordination was never my strong point.
Back then with the Super Nintendo everything was much easier. Oh, and I kicked much booty. As Chun Li I was unstoppable, and I perfected the time in which I beat "Final Fantasy 2." The games were still cool for such simple controllers. They were accessible. And as I'm writing this I'm fondly remembering Metroid and Zelda whose theme music just assaulted my brain.
I miss playing games. They're not easy to play anymore, and it isn't because they're complicated. The controllers are just so huge, so they're not manageable. So when a person like me sees the Wii, I drool. For all I know it could still be difficult, but it does look like a lot of fun.
Christmas songs have started edging their way on the radio. Not the good kind. The bad ones sung by so-called pop stars with pumped up tunes and doctored vocals. The song is supposed to sound brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Twenty years from now I'm not going to remember it. No one will. I will, however, remember this one:
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
{Refrain}
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas (war is over)
For weak and for strong (if you want it)
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
{Refrain}
And so this is Christmas (war is over)
And what have we done (if you want it)
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
{Refrain}
War is over if you want it
War is over now
Hmm. I love this Lennon song. The arrangement is so pretty, but I had never really paid much attention to the words. I wonder how much rotation this song will get this year.
Couples fantasize about making out in an airplane lavatory. And if they hadn't, well one viewing of Rumor Has It will either be enough to convince the lucky lover of a quickie in that tiny bathroom, or kill that libido as soon as the airlines start passing out photocopies of this article. Of course this happy twosome just couldn't wait to express their carnal love in a more private place.
"Persing was observed nuzzling or kissing Sewell on the neck, and ... with his face pressed against Sewell's vaginal area. During these actions, Sewell was observed smiling," reads the indictment filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.On a second warning from the flight attendant, Persing snapped back threatening the flight attendant with "serious consequences" if he did not leave them alone.
He was so hot and bothered he just couldn't contain himself! Now they're both charged under the Patriot Act.
Let this be a lesson. Sex on airplanes is bad. It turns ordinary people into terrorists, and that just isn't good.
Via Irish Trojan
Here is the latest world news. Mexico City just passed a law allowing civil unions. Yes, that very same Mexico. Home of the stereotypical macho man who drinks tequila till dawn and expects the wife to have dinner ready every night when he comes home from work. He is the bread winner.
It's a Mexico that is more Americanized than I'd like. There are KFC's, Domino's, and Subway's in the smaller town now. When the taco stands begin to disappear, there will be an uproar. Picture an Irapuato without a Pingüino's or a Furber's. It's too scary to picture. My tongue is welling up with saliva just thinking of that fire roasted meat on real corn tortilla's...
Now it's a Mexico with a capital city that recognizes civil unions. The vote was 43 - 17, and all the members of incoming President Calderon's party disapproved.
La Sociedad en Convivencia la podrán establecer dos personas de diferente o del mismo sexo, que sean mayores de edad, aunque no se podrán apegar a esta figura los parientes consanguíneos en línea recta sin límite de grado o colaterales hasta en cuarto grado.
The law basically states that a civil union can occur between to people of either the opposite or same sex as long as they are of legal age (18 I assume). However, one can't enter into a civil union if it's a parent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt,or a cousin. Fifth cousins are allowed.
