North Korea – Again.
Posted by Daryl in Politics, Senseless Rants on May 28th, 2009
So North Korea (Chosun, DPRK, whatever) has tested another nuclear weapon. Unlike the last test which was widely thought to have fizzled, this test appears to have been a success. And, at about 20KT, comparable to the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki a the close of WWII.
Fiat Accompli
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts on May 5th, 2009
Fiat Group SpA’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has just overseen the purchase of Chrysler and now Fiat is negotiating to purchase potentially all of GM’s holdings in Europe.
If completed, that would make Fiat one of the largest carmakers in the world, and Sergio and his buddies will be laughing all the way to the bank.
Picking up one of the “Not So Big Three” American carmakers – which has some not-so-bad products these days – gets Fiat firmly into the North American car market, and it does it at pennies on the dollar from what it would have cost just a year ago.
And now to consolidate their position in Europe they’ll get Opel, Saab and Vauxhall – and they’ll get those three marques at fire-sale prices because GM is looking to consolidate in North America. Oh, and because GM is out of money and there are no other buyers.
I think the one lesson we can all take from this is that in a downturn the best-run and most forward-looking companies are the ones that stand to profit from the colossal stupidity of others.
Have any doubts about Fiat being forward-looking? Even though the software is by Microsoft, try to find this on an American car: Fiat Eco-Drive
Is President Obama Infallible?
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics on April 18th, 2009
"HOPE" by Shepard Fairey
I read in the news today that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now decided that CO2 is a pollutant that needs to be regulated, and that they’re going to do just that. It was only two years ago that Bush quashed a similar push.
This is only the latest in an absolute flurry of tectonic shifts away from the policies of the Bush Administration. It seems that it’s almost every single day that some old policy is nullified, exposed or outright revoked. It is as though America – with President Obama at the helm – is entering a new age of enlightenment. Can you tell I’m excited?
Already this week he gave Cuba (and Cuban-Americans) something to cheer for, released Bush-era documents that justified torture – while rightly saying that those who followed the bad advice would not be prosecuted, and announced plans for a national high-speed rail network. Today it’s CO2, and somewhere in there the First Family managed to get a new dog!
Add this onto everything he’s done since he took office, and if it wouldn’t kill me I swear my head would actually spin right off.
One thing I’ll remind you of, dear reader, is that I’m Canadian. During the eight years of Bush – beginning, fittingly enough, with a stolen election – I had thought America was all puffed out. An old power, past its prime, that would just have to learn to take a new place in the World.
Well, America will certainly take a new place in the World, but for sure it won’t be anything less. President Barack Obama most definitely has what it takes to get it done, and I say good on him. He is exactly what America needs to pull itself away from fear and xenophobia, and toward enlightenment and justice.
What is good for the USA is good for me, so I say GOBAMA, and GO the 21st Century Renaissance!
Update: CNN is saying that President Obama may be the “Superpresident“, and I couldn’t agree more.
Why Mensa Sucks
Posted by Daryl in Uncategorized on March 15th, 2009
A Resolution for March 12th
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts on March 13th, 2009
As of today, I’m going to stop trying to write beautiful prose for this blog. I’ve managed to do it before, with articles like Lake of Fire, Anyone? and Will the Real Slim Shady Please Shoot Paris Hilton, perhaps I don’t need to continue to prove that I’m witty.
I’ve got dozens – literally dozens – of articles in an unfinished state. Either drafts on this site that will never get finished, or text files on my computer that will likely see the same fate. It’s got to stop, because too many good ideas are getting stuck in the machine.
I don’t have to prove myself, so I’m not going to. Here’s to more blog entries and fewer novellas.
Funniest Picture Ever.
I got this today and it’s got to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
HDMI Cable Shenanigans
Posted by Daryl in Technology on July 16th, 2008
So last week I got a new TV. It’s about time, as the set we had was almost beyond shame.
What the thing is is irrelevant to wha I want to say, but safe to say it’s a flat panel LCD with several HDMI inputs on the back.
We had the cable people come out and give us a new HD cable box. It’s got all manner of outputs on the back of it – cable, composite, s-video, component and HDMI. I elected to go HDMI because I know it’s the only digital signal of the bunch and I thought it surely must allow the best picture quality. Read the rest of this entry »
Michelle Obama: Proud.
I can’t believe how much of a dustup has ensued from the following – seemingly inocuous – quotation:
“For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.” (CNN)
Regardless of your political affiliation, I don’t see how you could take this to mean that Mrs. Obama was ever anything but a proud American.
Did anyone on the right stop to consider what might actually be going through her mind? And what it means?
Mildewd: You don’t want to be one.
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts on June 20th, 2008
mildewd (alt. mildude) [mil-dyüd] noun, informal: 1. a man, formerly fastidious in dress and/or manner, who has now allowed himself to deteriorate with advancing age. 2. clothing that would only be worn by such an individual. (plural: mildewds)
Some examples:
- “Man, get a haircut. You’re such a mildewd.”
- “That shirt was mildewd 20 years ago.”
- “I don’t want to go to Shifty McNasty’s, it’s a bar for mildewds.”
- “The mildewd, no longer fashionably late, received a scowl from the prestigious crowd.”
I hereby submit this word to the English language. If you have other, more interesting uses, of the word – please feel free to leave them in a comment.
Special thanks to SarZ for causing me to think of this.
Where is Our Say?
Posted by Daryl in Deep Thoughts, Politics, Technology on June 14th, 2008
Yesterday a reprehensible piece of legislation was introduced in the Canadian House of Commons that stands to make millions of otherwise law-abiding Canadians criminals. It also stands to expose those same millions to lawsuits that could ruin lives, careers and families for the simple crime of shifting songs from a lawfully purchased CD to a lawfully purchased iPod or other device or storage format. Welcome to the 21st Century, bitches.
The Federal Minister of Industry, Jim Prentice, says “This bill reflects a win-win approach.”
Just who will be doing all the winning with this is pretty clear. And it’s not me and you.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/06/12/tech-copyright.html
