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Well - maybe this IM rant covers it best:
(20:15:59) tirephusa: Oi, I got real drama for you
(20:16:25) Friend: Oh really... :)
(20:16:43) tirephusa: How about $500 per month in living expenses?
(20:16:46) tirephusa: er increase
(20:17:11) Friend: Oh really... how so?
(20:17:23) tirephusa: Well, the easy one....
(20:17:24) tirephusa: gas
(20:17:34) tirephusa: After that, it becomes more complicated
(20:17:43) tirephusa: but basically my mortgage company fucked up
(20:17:44) Friend: Corn and other basics?
(20:17:51) Friend: Oh... not good.
(20:17:53) tirephusa: no, just filling up the tank
(20:18:09) tirephusa: oh, the homestead exemtion was filed!
(20:18:13) tirephusa: ooops, no it wasnt
(20:18:17) tirephusa: heres the bill
(20:18:18) Friend: OH... that is not good.
(20:18:31) tirephusa: so we are going ot get it fixed
(20:18:37) tirephusa: but it's still gone up
(20:18:46) tirephusa: trying to sort that all out right now
(20:19:02) tirephusa: 100 gas
(20:19:08) tirephusa: 100 just plain increas
(20:19:33) tirephusa: 100 rei guys fucked up the estimate
(20:20:06) tirephusa: 200 to pay it back
(20:20:20) tirephusa: of course, that is now just 100 beause it's dragged out over 2 years
20:20
(20:21:01) tirephusa: so it'll be 400 after all is said and done and maybe 300 if we get the exemption fixed
(20:23:15) Friend: Well... oi vey... Real life responsibility drama.
20:25
(20:26:39) tirephusa: yeah
(20:28:26) tirephusa: so October vacation is done, no necro and xmas shopping will be done probably exclusively on the "annual cash in money" - which was like $400 if i remmeber right
(20:28:35) tirephusa: little shit adds up
(20:29:37) tirephusa: I can probably nullify the gas issue by going to a 4 day workweek (something ive wanted to do anyway)
(20:30:17) tirephusa: and its something the agency has finally woken up to
(20:30:39) tirephusa: cant get shit done at the office during 8-5pm anyway
(20:30:48) tirephusa: phone call spam
20:30
(20:31:30) tirephusa: "emergencies" which were cleaning up SEP
(20:34:20) tirephusa: On the bright side, we've both needed diets =D
We can make it work, but it's gonna involve cutting down seriously on the "latte factor".... =( |
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050804/wl_canada_nm/canada_canada_usa_immigration_col_1
Americans didn't flock to Canada after Bush win By David Ljunggren
Thu Aug 4, 2:55 PM ET
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadians can put away those extra welcome mats -- it seems Americans unhappy about the result of last November's presidential election have decided to stay at home after all.
In the days after President Bush won a second term, the number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site shot up sixfold, prompting speculation that unhappy Democrats would flock north.
But official statistics show the number of Americans actually applying to live permanently in Canada fell in the six months after the election.
On the face of it this is not good news -- Canada is one of the few major nations seeking to attract immigrants -- but Immigration Minister Joe Volpe was philosophical.
"We'll take talent from wherever it is resident in the world. I was absolutely elated to see the number of hits and then my staff said 'You know what? A hit on the Internet is after all just a hit'," he told Reuters on Thursday.
"I guess I'm happy Republicans and Democrats have found a way to live together in peace and in harmony," he said.
Canada generally tilts more to the social and political left than the United States.
Data from the main Canadian processing center in Buffalo, NY shows that in the six months up to the U.S. election there were 16,266 applications from people seeking to live in Canada, a figure that fell to 14,666 for the half year after the vote.
A spokeswoman for Canada's federal immigration ministry declined to speculate on the reasons for the drop.
Toby Condliffe, who heads the Canadian chapter of Democrats Abroad, did have an explanation of sorts.
"I can only assume the Americans who checked out the Web site subsequently checked out our winter temperatures and further took note that the National Hockey League was being locked out and had second thoughts," he told Reuters.
Last year, Canada, which has a population of about 32 million, accepted 235,808 immigrants from all over the world.
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Just goes to show..... |
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Jul. 12th, 2005 @ 09:02 am
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http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/12/nbbc12.xml
BBC edits out the word terrorist
By Tom Leonard
(Filed: 12/07/2005)
The BBC has re-edited some of its coverage of the London Underground and bus bombings to avoid labelling the perpetrators as "terrorists", it was disclosed yesterday.
Early reporting of the attacks on the BBC's website spoke of terrorists but the same coverage was changed to describe the attackers simply as "bombers".
The BBC's guidelines state that its credibility is undermined by the "careless use of words which carry emotional or value judgments".
Consequently, "the word 'terrorist' itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding" and its use should be "avoided", the guidelines say.
Rod Liddle, a former editor of the Today programme, has accused the BBC of "institutionalised political correctness" in its coverage of British Muslims.
A BBC spokesman said last night: "The word terrorist is not banned from the BBC."
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What a joke - this from the station that kept referring to Hussein as "president"! |
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Okay my goal now is to get a new job by the time my birthday comes around (8/21). I've already put out my resume to the father in law, whom says he can help out, but I'm done putting things on hold. It's only cost me time and sanity in this hellhole I'm stuck in. |
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http://www.savetoby.com/
I can't believe he's made 34K with this crap!
Use your brain and the money will come to you - case closed! |
| » Microsoft Speech Recognition Rant |
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I am going to try and as Microsoft’s speech writing recognition software and post it on the live Journal and see how well it works - #1 training the darned thing and #2- Encourage myself to use it more often. I'm making it easier by using the training sessions "introduction" and "the war of the world’s" speeches and we’ll see how it goes
And hey the enter function works interestingly you say “enter” and did well.... sorta
I have to do quite a bit of editing - not too bad given that the software is new to me but, I need to learn its own quirks - I know how to dicate, but I'm just too lazy for proper form right now - putting commas in and the like.
Well I mentioned yesterday that a friend or family had committed suicide and she jumped off the Skyway bridge. I got a little more information as to what happened. Basically are he was not entirely loyal to her significant other and apparently she this other person on the side. She wanted him to leave the significant other and he did not want to. So apparently, she had gotten high and decided to jump while she was coming down off her high. Between the divorce situation, pending death and suicide, it's been dramatic around here so I took a mental health day and ended up bumming around and got my main pc to look like a Mac. It worked out ok.
Oh I finished watching the rest of the new doctor series, which was fairly enjoyable. There were some of the usual plot holes, but it was enjoyable.
Well the Mrs. Has been gone for a little bit over a day now, with the babies and the sister in law over at some Orlando resort and seems to be having a fairly good time. They may be discussing reconciliation but nobody is horribly hopeful, but when most of the the brothers immediate family is siding with the opposite party that’s not really a good sign.
Final preparations for Metro, and will officially start tomorrow going shopping with our roommate, his wife and thier baby for groceries. The day after that, we'll head over to the con itself and help set up and get settled. The way things are looking at the moment the Mrs. will be going to be there hopefully Friday, maybe Thursday night - nobody’s really sure, but that’s the way it goes.
So my question for your folks is - do you wannt to hear the unedited feed for a post and see what you think?
Jun. 21st, 2005 @ 10:59 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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( Click here to see! )
Jun. 20th, 2005 @ 10:57 pm
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| » It's (almost all) bad news around here |
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Let's see...
- Can't seem to put in a password to save my life. I've been locked out a lot at work several times last week and now at home. At first I thought it was just new security procedures at work (likely) and my new linux distro upgrade at home on a dual boot system (also likely). I got a pw overrite disk and that didnt seem to work, but then later the missus was on the PC w/ no problems. Now I'm locked out again and on the HTPC. Despite all the BS, I'm not THAT mental. I smell virus.
- Brother in Law getting divorced (the couple the missus is babysitting for) - he seems like a nice guy, with a "cranky" side, but when your family is siding with the other person, then YOU are most likely the problem! They may go to premarital counseling, but im told it wouldn't be the first time he's blown off "shrinks" because "he didn't like them". Likely to leave a daughter not even a year old with a broken home. Not they she'll suffer from a lack of loving folks in her life (indeed, the missus and I discussed the outside possiblity of adopting her if things went horribly wrong).
- Just found out a friend of family committed suicide. Without handing out names, she was a friend of the missus's side for many, many years. Also a psychic, allegedly. (Was usually off about stuff, but generally correct, IMO) Morose jokes aside, she was in a relationship that we were told she was going to break off this week. Supposedly, they were going on a cruise and she was going to let him know and again (If memory serves)it was thought that she "already had someone else". I'm told she jumped off the Skyway, so it'll likely be on the news tommorow. Don't know any more than that.
- Got an internal CP/mp3 player for Father's Day - um I guess I should be happy about that but it's rather muted in the face of everything else... =(
Jun. 20th, 2005 @ 10:04 pm
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| » Growing nerve cells - could be HUGE! |
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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=646759
World first: brain cells grown in laboratory
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
14 June 2005
Scientists have grown fully mature brain cells in a laboratory for the first time, using a technique that mimics the natural process of brain regeneration.
It promises to open the door to new ways of treating and possibly curing debilitating brain diseases such as Parkinson's, epilepsy and Alzheimer's.
The scientists said they were able to produce virtually unlimited quantities of brains cells, which could revolutionise transplant medicine as well as leading to new drugs to stimulate the regrowth of damaged nerves.
Bjorn Scheffler, a neuroscientist at Florida University who made the breakthrough, said the procedure involved mimicking the natural process through which key stem cells in the brain orchestrate partial regeneration of the brain.
"Our study shows for the first time the entire process that goes on in our brain for life. We can, in a dish, recapture the process in front of our eyes," Dr Scheffler said. It was not the first time that scientists had shown stem cells can be manipulated in the lab to produce mature brain cells, he added. "But nobody has been capable of replicating the process from the very first step to the very last step - it's unique to get the whole process happening before your eyes."
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was done with mice but the scientists believe it is only a matter to time before they are able to reproduce the same process of development with human brain cells.
The findings, in effect, show it is possible to construct an assembly line for manufacturing unlimited quantities of human brain cells, or neurons, Dr Scheffler said. "We can basically take these cells and freeze them until we need them. Then we thaw them, begin a cell-generating process and produce a ton of new neurons."
Professor Dennis Steindler, who led the Florida research team, said the strength of the technique lay in its ability to identify vital stem cells that have the power to grow into adult brain cells.
"We've isolated for the first time what appears to be the true candidate stem cell," Professor Steindler said. "There have been other candidates but, in this case, we used a special microscope that allows us to watch living cells over long periods of time.
"So we've actually witnessed the stem cell give rise to new neurons. We've watched it under a living microscope generate brand new neurons.
"For many years, different groups - including mine - have claimed we're getting close to identifying the true stem cell progenitor, characterising it and watching its magic.
"What we've learnt from the 50 years of research into bone marrow and blood stem cells is to be extremely careful in claiming we've got the mother of all stem cells in adult brain tissue," he said.
Time-lapse images taken by the scientists show how simple, immature stem cells gradually develop and grow into the fully functioning cell - vital to the healthy functioning of the brain.
"Now we can make a lot of brain cells from just a very small number of these stem cells, which is great because we'd have to do that to repair neurological disease," Professor Steindler said.
Another possibility is to use the technique as a model of natural brain repair so that scientists can test potential drugs for stimulating the regrowth of damaged nerves.
"We are already beginning the process of screening for compounds that will allow this to happen perhaps without sticking anything into our brains," Professor Steindler said.
"It's been the goal of this field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine to get us closer to being able to pop a pill in your mouth when you have a neurological disorder that has a specific action on your own indigenous stem cell population.
"This is getting us one step closer to that because we can now produce large quantities of brain cells at will and we can now manipulate them in the laboratory.
"The home run is that we will find drugs to mobilise our own population [of brain stem cells], which is what this study is focusing on.
"I'm quite optimistic we will translate this to human therapeutics in the very near future," he added. "Because advances in the field of regenerative medicine are occurring so quickly at the moment, it could be anytime. It could be next week, it could be ten years. I'd like it to be next week."
Hopes for cure
Dementia
In Alzheimer's disease parts of the brain degenerate, leading first to loss of memory and later to loss of personality. Abnormal tissues called senile plaques and tangles appear in the brain.
There are few treatments available though some drugs can slow progression of the disease by a few months in some people. A treatment that halted the destruction of brain cells or led to their regeneration would bring new hope to millions of sufferers.
Parkinson's disease
This is a slowly progressing degenerative disorder of the nervous system which causes tremor, delayed movements and rigidity. Its cause lies deep within the brain, in an area called the basal ganglia. Treatment is with a variety of drugs, including levodopa and bromocriptine, but they do not cure or halt the progression of the disease though they make movement easier.
Epilepsy
Anything that irritates the brain can cause a seizure, such as lack of oxygen or a fever. In epilepsy even a minor stimulus may be enough - flashing lights, video games or even touching parts of the body. Repeated seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain is epilepsy. Drugs can usually control the seizures, but in 10 to 20 per cent of patients surgery has to be considered.
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We were always taught that these kind of cells were impossible to repair/replate, etc.... Very interesting!
Jun. 14th, 2005 @ 09:20 am
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| » Not quite first Go Panel... |
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After talking to quite a few otaku who do the con circut, nobody can seem to recall a Go panel being done. However.....
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.games.go/browse_frm/thread/a59b3c55589cc468/5bf15be8f3a69a5f?tvc=1&q=anime+convention&hl=en#5bf15be8f3a69a5f
fcpguru Mar 27, 11:04 am show options
Newsgroups: rec.games.go
From: "fcpguru" <bogie...@mac.com> - Find messages by this author
Date: 27 Mar 2005 08:04:24 -0800
Local: Sun,Mar 27 2005 11:04 am
Subject: Hikaru Lives in Idaho
Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse
The Boise, Idaho, chapter of AGA attended a local anime/manga
convention this weekend. We had an hour to explain the rules, hand out
9x9 cardboard games and AGA booklets and help the attendees pair off.
The audience was 20-30 attentive kids and about a dozen adults.
These anime/manga conventions happen all over the country, all the
time. Check with local game stores and video speciality shops. Great
opportunities to reach younger players.
The supplies we received from the American Go Association were
absolutely essential. Our thanks to
chapterservi...@usgo.org, we couldnt have done it without that stuff.
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I know cons are real big on being FIRST in this or that.... mebbe first FLORIDA con?
Anywho, we'll plan for 100 attendees and leave it at that.
Jun. 7th, 2005 @ 09:16 pm
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| » Go panel is ... Go! |
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Friday the 24th, from 2-4pm.
Now I just need to get Zerokun on the roster for volunteering - not sure how to do that. He's the main instructor after all...
Jun. 7th, 2005 @ 06:48 pm
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| » Mac going Intel? Not sure what to make of this.. |
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http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/05/06/06/1752234.shtml?tid=118&tid=179&tid=3
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/06intel.html
Steve Jobs announced at the WWDC keynote today that Apple is switching to Intel processors. MacNN has live coverage. The bottom line is that Mac OS X for the last five years has been running on Intel, the switch is expected to be complete in two years, and Rosetta will allow PPC apps to run on Intel-based Macs, transparently. If you're using Xcode, it is small changes and a recompile; otherwise, you might be seeing a lot of work ahead of you. You will be able to order the 10.4.1 preview for Intel today.
Keynote ends. [11:05 am]
Jobs says to create Universal Binaries. 90 of+ presentations on Universal versions. 100+ Developer workstations in 7 labs. 500 engineers onsite at WWDC. Next year will be about Leopards, the next version of Mac OS X. More than processor, hardware, the "soul of the Mac" is the operating system. [11:05 am]
Intel is passionate about their products, according to Steve Jobs. Intel CEO Paul Otellini invited on stage to talk about Apple's transition. "The world's most innovative computer company has teamed up with the most innovative chip company." Otellini plays "Toasting the Pentium" commercial from 1996. [11:00 am]
Launch of Microsoft Office 2004 was best product launch for Mac OS X. New version of Messenger due for Macs in the next few months. Additionally, a new update for Exchange users. MacBU commits to delivering a "Universal Binary" for Microsoft Office. Jobs also invites Bruce Chizen of Adobe on stage to talk about Intel-based Mac transition. Adobe says it is committed bringing its applications to Intel-based Macs. [10:52 am]
Apple will offer a Developer Kit, which includes 3.6GHz Pentium 4. OS X 10.4.1 for Intel (preview release). Order today; available in two weeks. [10:48 am]
Rosetta is a dymanic binary translator. Runs PowerPC code on Intel-baesd Macs. Transparent to users. Pretty fast. Jobs demos Rosetta used to run PowerPC macs on Intel-based Macs. Jobs shows Microsoft Excel/Word running on Intel-based Mac (without any porting and/or recompiling). Jobs also shows Photoshop CS2 with all plugins that are translated and run on Intel-based Mac without significant speed decrease. [10:46 am]
Jobs introduces Wolfram's CEO, who said they ported Mathematica 5 to Intel-based Macs in 2 hours. Working version in 2 hours flat. Only about 20 lines of code changed. [10:40 am]
Widget/Scripts/Java --> Just work. Cocoa --Xcode (tweaks, recompile) --> A few days. Carbon - Xcode (twek, recompile) --> A few weeks. Carbon Apps --Metroweks -- Jobs says to transfer to Xcode. Over half of 100 developers using Xcode. Nex Xcode 2.1 delivered today. News Xcode generates a single "universal binary" that supports both processors. Available to everybody at registration desk following the keynote. [10:37 am]
Mac OS X has been leading secret double life. Every Mac project build for Intel and PowerPC and Intel. Every release of Mac OS X has been built for both Intel and PowerPC-based Macs. For the last 5 years. Mac OS X is cross-platform by design. Apple's demo is on an Intel-based system. Jobs shows all Mac OS X Tiger features are already compatible with Intel-based processors. Not done yet. Will put into the developer hands to help Apple finish it. [10:32 am]
Two major transitions for Mac: 68K to PowerPC. Next Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X. Now time for third transition. Transition to Intel-based Macs. Developers Now. Next year for users. "Because we want to make the best computers for our customers." No G5 PowerBook yet. Future products can't be build on IBM of PowerPC. Intel has performance and better performance per watt. Intel delivers much better performance per watt. Starting next year the first Macs with Intel processors. Shipping by next WWDC. Mostly complete by 2007 WWDC. Complete by the end of 2007. Two-year transition. [10:28 am]
Panther 49%..Tiger 16%..Jaguar 25%....early 5%...Expecting Tiger to grow 50% of base by same time next year. Apple has released 5 major versions of OS in last 5 years, while Microsoft has released one (XP). Leopard, next major relase of Mac OS X, due at the end of 2006, alongside Longhorn release. [10:26 am]
Apple this week says it will deliver the 2,000,000 copy of Mac OS X Tiger. In under 6 weeks since its released. 400 dashboard widgets available since it is released. Jobs demos a few Dashboard widgets. [10:21 am]
Jobs touts Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. One billion copies of QuickTime shipped. QuickTime 7 preview available for Windows today. Jobs quotes various glowing media reviews of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, highlighting Spotlight. [10:18 am]
Mac doing very well. PC growth rate is around 10% today . 9 months ago Mac growth rate took off. [10:16 am]
Apple will build in Podcasting support into iTunes. Easy/quick listing of Podcasts right into iTunes. Subscribe podcasts, download old podcasts. Jobs demos Adam Curry podcast. Artwork in iTunes window changes as you scrub podcasts. Jobs said that new iTunes would take podcasting mainstream. [10:16 am]
End of last quarter 16 million iPods sold. 76% marketshare of all MP3 players. 430M sonds sold and downloaded. 82 percent iTunes marketshare in the month of May. Podcasting is exploding. "TiVo for Radio." "Wayne's World for radio." Hottest thing going for Radio. Over 8,000 podcasts right now and growing very fast. [10:12 am]
Apple shows retail video. 109 stores. 1 million visitors per week. Retail/Online stores have sold half a billion in products. "Best Buying Experience in the World" [10:07 am]
3800 attendees. largest in last decade. 45 countries including China. 110 lab sessions. 400+ entries for Appple Design Awards. Over half-a-million ADC members. 109 stores. 1 million visitors per week. Retail/Online stores have sold half a billion in products. [10:07 am]
9:55 am PT. Live Keynote coverage begins soon.
9:20 am PT. Testing Service.
Event begins at 10 am PT. Please check back soon.
___________________________________________
Slashdot has gone apeshit and it's even harder than normal to figure out the BS from the insightful.
It seems doubtful that OSX will run on your typical PC, but will use thier own version which will be windows incompatible. I'd like to be wrong on this and what a slap in the face it would be to Gates!
I suspect Jobs will keep this part fuzzy for maximum PR effect.
IBM either couldnt pump out chips powerful enough, effective enough (no G5 laptops!) or put them on the backburner for consoles, etc...
Jun. 6th, 2005 @ 04:00 pm
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| » Finally got an HDTV |
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27 incher for $250 - "scratch and dent" model from Sam's Club - got real lucky there!
Jun. 1st, 2005 @ 12:15 am
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| » (No Subject) |
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You Belong in the USA |
Sweet!
People either love you or hate you
And you really don't care what anyone thinks
Big and bold, you do things your way |
May. 28th, 2005 @ 02:28 am
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| » Go Panels, Wow Accounts and Good Boss |
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I can't believe I'm seriously considering putting together a go panel with kamenriderfaiz. The AGA site has a great resource page at :http://www.usgo.org/promotion/PromotionalKit.asp - thinking the video, pausing with comments and pass out the papers w/ the 9x9 paper boards and pieces. Let folks go at it and help out as needed. Seems simple.
Finally ditched the WoW account and sold it to a friend for the cost of the game - im sure i could have sold it off for more, given i have a L60 character on the account, but i dont really care. Recouping my costs are enough. Wow was fun, but I can't sink in that kind of time to make it meaningful. Will take that monthly drain onto another project that the missus and I have been discussing.
The good boss returns - she seems not too happy to return, but that's to be expected.
May. 25th, 2005 @ 12:10 am
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| » (No Subject) |
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http://contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/von%20trier%20slams%20america
VON TRIER SLAMS AMERICA
LARS VON TRIER
Click to learn more...
Danish director LARS VON TRIER shocked crowds at the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL yesterday (18MAY05), when he branded US President GEORGE W BUSH "an a**hole" and launched into a bitter tirade against globalisation.
The DANCER IN THE DARK film-maker, who has been promoting his new film MANDERLAY at the movie showcase, hit out when he was asked why his movies take an anti-American stance.
Von Trier said, "Mr Bush is an a**hole. So much in Denmark is American. We are a nation under influence.
"America fills about 60 per cent of my brain. So, in fact, I am American.
"But I can't go there to vote and I can't change anything, because I am from a small country. So that is why I make films about America."
19/05/2005 17:36
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Bush is an asshole - such a well reasoned response!
May. 22nd, 2005 @ 05:58 am
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| » Get ready.... |
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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1622625,00.html
May 22, 2005
Higher earners ‘to retire at 70’
Robert Winnett, Whitehall Correspondent
UNIVERSITY graduates may be barred from receiving a state pension until they are 70 under proposals from Tony Blair’s pensions supremo to solve the looming crisis.
Adair Turner, head of the government’s Pensions Commission, says lower-paid workers could, however, still retire on a full pension at 65 to reflect their lower life expectancy.
The move would break the century-old system of a common state pension retirement age across all social groups and shows how the scale of the problem is forcing Whitehall to consider drastic measures.
It would mean the professional middle classes would bear the brunt of what Turner describes as the “tricky choices” forced onto the government by the ageing population.
But he argues that such a radical change might be necessary because professionals survive on average five years longer than lower social groups after retirement. Turner says this should be reflected in the state retirement age. “One of the sad facts is that although life expectancy is going up, it is going up least in lower socio-economic groups,” Turner said.
“So we have to be sensitive to that when we put up the state pension age. For example, the person who starts work at 16 would be able to get something at 65. The person who went to university and started serious work at 23 is not going to get it until 70.”
In the interview, Turner said that all workers might have to be forced to save for a pension with the money invested on their behalf by the government. It would ensure that everybody would have an annual income of about £12,000 a year, including the basic state pension.
The unpopular changes are being considered by Turner because of the multi-billion-pound shortfall in the amount that people have saved for their retirement. Estimates have put the shortfall at between £30 billion and £60 billion.
During the election campaign, Labour said that it would decide how to reform pensions after receiving Turner’s final recommendations in the autumn.
David Blunkett, the new work and pensions minister, has already accepted that people will have to retire later and pay higher taxes to fund more generous pensions. Sources close to the minister said that they were looking at Turner’s proposals and had not ruled out a “flexible retirement age” in future.
Turner has proposed a two-tier system because he believes that a more sophisticated approach to increasing the state pension age is required.
“We’ve got to be wary of saying, ‘Well, in order to get our numbers to add up without a further tax increase it (the state pension age) has got to be 70 in 2030, end of story’. It’s too cavalier in relation to the life expectancy of people at the bottom end of the income scale,” he said.
Ironically, the wealthy are far more likely to retire earlier. They would still be free to do this but may not receive any state support until the age of 70.
Frank Field, former Labour welfare reform minister, said: “I think the idea is wonderful, but how do you make it a practical policy?” Sir Malcolm Rifkind, shadow work and pensions minister, said: “Changing the entitlement depending on whether you went to university would not only be wrong in principle but almost certainly unworkable.”
Although Turner is still working on the detail of his recommendations, last week he gave an outline of his likely solutions. He is working closely with Blunkett and the government is expected to set out its broad framework for reform on June 21.
“We are clear that there is not a coherent long-term pensions system. It is agreed that the state ought to make sure by some means that everybody is out of poverty in retirement. The problem is there’s not enough money. Remember, underlying this there is no free lunch. There are more people living longer and (that) . . . means there are some tricky choices about sums of money,” Turner said.
“I can’t go through the figures at the moment, the numbers don’t add up which is why you might need some extra (National Insurance contributions).”
May. 22nd, 2005 @ 05:49 am
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| » My daughter can perform software os shutdown |
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at 20 months old, which is a heckuvalot better than some users I know... =D
May. 20th, 2005 @ 09:27 pm
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