Next Friday night, I'll be watching my Braves beat the stuffing out of those crappy Mets for the first of 19 times this year. That most perfect game is back.
3.30.2005
It's the most wonderful time of the year.....
Next Friday night, I'll be watching my Braves beat the stuffing out of those crappy Mets for the first of 19 times this year. That most perfect game is back.
Cool: Clocky
MIT Media Laboratoy: Press Images - Clocky
Yeah, I'm a bad waker-upper. I've gotten better in the past few years, but I still struggle at times to get out of bed - especially on the weekends. Back in my single days I had to buy a new alarm clock every few months because I'd: 1) get used to the buzzer and sleep straight through it or 2) my muscles would learn where the snooze button was and automatically slap it without me waking. Nowadays, Mrs. P gets up before I do and wakes me. Whew.
This guy at MIT has the same problem, but he's an engineer and actually decided to do something about it. I'm not sure about the shag carpeting, but I guess he's hoping it could do double duty as a duster. As my favorite chef Alton Brown says, "No tool should be single-purpose. Except the fire-extinguisher."
Yeah, I'm a bad waker-upper. I've gotten better in the past few years, but I still struggle at times to get out of bed - especially on the weekends. Back in my single days I had to buy a new alarm clock every few months because I'd: 1) get used to the buzzer and sleep straight through it or 2) my muscles would learn where the snooze button was and automatically slap it without me waking. Nowadays, Mrs. P gets up before I do and wakes me. Whew.
This guy at MIT has the same problem, but he's an engineer and actually decided to do something about it. I'm not sure about the shag carpeting, but I guess he's hoping it could do double duty as a duster. As my favorite chef Alton Brown says, "No tool should be single-purpose. Except the fire-extinguisher."
3.28.2005
3.25.2005
3.24.2005
3.22.2005
Spidey vs. Lowell
From 1031:
Recent Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church has been cast as the villain in Spider-Man 3, which is set to begin production early next year.
3.21.2005
3.19.2005
Local Blogs
I've found a few Alabama blogs out there that I'd like to point out.
LocalTint covers politics from Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Here's a recent post regarding WorldComs' Bernard Ebbers' conviction and how it relates to our own local boy, Richard Scrushy:
Libertyflash is "committed to restoring each of the rights of all Alabamians." A recent example:
The World Around You is produced by the duo of Kristopher and Susan. Susan lives in Hoover as well while Kristopher hails from Prattville (which is closer to the heart of the beast: Montgomery). A recent post regarding Alabama's penal problems:
Go and take a gander at some of the local talent we have in Alabama. We won't give this state over!
LocalTint covers politics from Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Here's a recent post regarding WorldComs' Bernard Ebbers' conviction and how it relates to our own local boy, Richard Scrushy:
Ah, but did Ebbers buy a local TV station and air manipulative pro-Ebbers propaganda? Did he play the God card (in a town already vulnerable to religious manipulation) and go from a suburban whitebread to urban black church in order to pose as a millionaire oppressed and victimized by the feds? And did he, most egregiously, by proxy play the race card? Didn't think so.
Libertyflash is "committed to restoring each of the rights of all Alabamians." A recent example:
Independent Alabama has ten election reform bills being considering by the Alabama legislature. We call the package the “Make Every Vote Count” Act. To read the overviews and the text of the bill, please download this Word Document.
As part of this legislative effort, we have created our first television commercial. The theme of the advertisement is a group of people who ordered pizza. When the deliveryman arrives, he gives them pepperoni pizza. There is a problem, though. They didn’t order pepperoni.
The World Around You is produced by the duo of Kristopher and Susan. Susan lives in Hoover as well while Kristopher hails from Prattville (which is closer to the heart of the beast: Montgomery). A recent post regarding Alabama's penal problems:
The steady drumbeat is being heard on the altering of sentencing standards. Alabamians are beginning to understand that we cannot keep taxes low and lock everyone up for non-violent drug offenses.
There have to be reductions in the sentences for non-violent crime and alternative sentencing programs need to be made available for those with drug addiction. We also need to put more resources into preventing drug abuse on the front end, as I have said many, many times before.
Go and take a gander at some of the local talent we have in Alabama. We won't give this state over!
3.18.2005
Friday Casey
As promised, puppy pix. This is Mrs. P's baby Casey, who turns nine years old this June. Casey is by far the sweetest dog ever created. Very empathetic, she can sense her momma's moods and reacts accordingly.
She has an incredibly expressive face. We took her to the vet a while back to have a nodule checked. The vet tech said, "Wow, she has such a worried look on her face. Does she always look like that?" My response: "Only when she's worried."
She has an incredibly expressive face. We took her to the vet a while back to have a nodule checked. The vet tech said, "Wow, she has such a worried look on her face. Does she always look like that?" My response: "Only when she's worried."
Friday blogroll
Once again, I've been linked without knowing it. I love it when that happens! As much as I've been slacking lately its negative reinforcement. Anyways, Blogenlust has added me to his roll and that means (dum dum daaa!) he's now an Official Friend (TM) of piercingwit! So go visit already!
Also, as promised I've added Cool Tools to the (what else) Cool section. Enjoy.
Puppy pictures later this evening.
Also, as promised I've added Cool Tools to the (what else) Cool section. Enjoy.
Puppy pictures later this evening.
Look!
EW, The Wife's favorite magazine, has a new sister publication named Look. Since we've subscribed to EW for the past decade or so, we got the first issue in the mail the other day. I'd read about the mag somewhere on the 'net and figured we' pick it up so it was nice getting a comp copy. So I flipped through it this week and lo and behold, a two page article from our favorite monkey - John Rogers. It's all about his experience writing and pitching (or pitching and writing) the Transformers movie script including his meeting with the Godfather himself, Spielberg. If you've any interest in movies, pick up the mag - it's got less fluff than EW and looks (winkwink) to be a keeper.
3.15.2005
The Rise of the Blogger
I've always been entraced by charts, graphs and statistical data. Give me an almanac and I'm good for the evening. Maybe that (partially) explains my love of baseball. Aside from baseball being the most perfect game ever, that is.
Anyway, Sifry is doing a series of posts on the State of the Blogosphere. Interesting stuff - go read.
Link found on BoingBoing, where else?
3.14.2005
Orgy* o' Destruction
Odd little game. The more damage you do to your little buddy, the more different stuff you can buy. Addictive. Very addictive. Just make sure you don't throw too many missles at once or you'll hose up the Flash player.
*heh, he said "orgy"
*heh, he said "orgy"
3.12.2005
Frickin' Cool
Wow. Just... wow. Everything from the world's simplest water cannon to Mukluks. This'll be going in the Cool links section soon. Thanks to Kung Fu Monkey for the link.
3.11.2005
Friday Oscar
We were driving back from my mother's house in Georgia two years ago on Oscar weekend. We normally stop at the state line rest area on this trip, and this time was no exception. As we walked to the restrooms, we saw a very friendly cat - a kitten, really. Being animal people, we stopped and petted the cat, looked around for an owner, checked for tags, etc. It was pretty obvious the cat was a stray or a dropoff. We hemmed and hawed over it for a minute, then went on to the restroom. When we came out, it was still strolling around the parking lot. We petted it a bit more before finally deciding to pick her up and stick her in the car. Mrs P always travels with a pillow for comfort - in this case, the comfort belonged to Oscar, the newest member of the Pierce clan. BTW, Oscar is a girl-kitty.
3.07.2005
Landmine Eradication
Boing Boing links to an amazing commercial regarding the UN's landmine eradication program. You can see it here. Warning - somewhat graphic and pretty disturbing, but that's pretty much the point. Boing Boing reports that "CNN and other networks don't want to air the ad."
Why not display the 10 Commandments?
There's a great column in yesterday's Birmingham Post-Herald written by Rev. James L. Evans. He lists 10 reasons why the 10 Commandments shouldn't be displayed on public property. I'll copy it here rather than try to trim the article:
Rev. Evans is the pastor at Auburn (AL) First Baptist Church. I plan on writing him a note to thank him for being a voice of reason.
No. 10. Posting the Ten Commandments endorses Protestant Christianity.
Almost all of the displays use the King James Version of the commandments — a Protestant distinctive. Roman Catholics and followers of Judaism use a different translation.
No. 9. Public displays of the Ten Commandments reduce all other religions to second-class status.
Not all religions in our country are part of the Judeo-Christian tradition. And because it is still possible to be a citizen of this country without being a Christian, all religions must be treated equally.
No. 8. Displaying the Ten Commandments as a way of trying to improve the social order reinforces a magical view of religion.
Proponents say that if we display the Ten Commandments, children will behave better in school and our nation will be blessed for acknowledging God.
Thinking this way reduces the Ten Commandments down to the level of a lucky rabbit's foot. The impact of the Ten Commandments comes when they are taught by faithful teachers, not when they are dangling from a keychain.
No. 7. Public displays of Scripture corrupt the true purpose of religious practice.
God did not send the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount in order to "create a more perfect union."
These Scriptures represent an ideal community far more difficult to attain than the mere democracy we struggle with.
No. 6. Public displays of Scripture corrupt the true purpose of government.
Every time in history the state has acted on behalf of God, blood has flowed in the streets. God may work through the state as God chooses, but that does not mean everything the state does is God's will.
Keeping church and state separate makes it possible for the faith community to remind the state of its temporal limitations as needed.
No. 5. Public displays of the Ten Commandments are a form of idolatry.
Anytime we treat as ultimate something we have made with our own hands, we are worshipping idols. Even if the words on the monument are God's, the monument is ours. That's why one of those commandments warns against graven images.
No. 4. Grouping the Ten Commandments with other historical documents distorts the history of all.
The United States was established as a secular state, not a theocracy. And Moses was not present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
No. 3. Public displays of religion promote social disorder by setting groups of people against each other.
The only way America works is if we guarantee equal freedom for everyone.
No. 2. A public display of Scripture trivializes what is supposed to be important and profound.
Do we really want our sacred texts treated like soda pop ads?
And the No. 1 reason the court should rule against public displays of the Ten Commandments — God wants them written on our hearts, and that's not going to happen just because they are on display down at the courthouse.
Rev. Evans is the pastor at Auburn (AL) First Baptist Church. I plan on writing him a note to thank him for being a voice of reason.
3.04.2005
Friday Kate
Since it is Friday, and that's the traditional cat-blogging day, here's Katie. She's old and cranky and doesn't like anyone, but she's one cool cat.
3.01.2005
AL GOV 2006: Early polls
An early poll came out last week and the results are very interesting. It polled roughly 450 Alabamians for their choices in numerous permutations of the four leading candidates.
Riley is the current Governor, Baxley is the current Lt. Governor (yes, those offices are elected separately), Siegelman was Governor prior to Riley and His Holiness needs no introduction. Go read the article, it does quite a fine job of analysis. Highlights:
Interesting footnote: no Alabama governor has served two consecutive terms since Wallace. The only incumbent to win re-election in that period was Guy Hunt. Hunt was convicted of illegally using campaign funds to pay off personal debts and removed from office in 1993.
Also interesting to note that until 1968, incumbents weren't allow to run for a second term, thus making Wallace and Hunt the only incumbent governors to win re-election. A consitutional amendment set term limits to two consecutive terms (though it does allow for non-consecutive terms - Wallace served again from 1983-87).
Mobile Register Poll. 2/14-17. MoE 4.6% (1/17-20 results)cribbed from ADP Blog
Bob Riley (R-incumbent) 35
Lucy Baxley (D) 39
Roy Moore (R) 38
Lucy Baxley (D) 44
Riley (R) 43 (46)
Don Siegelman (D) 34 (36)
Moore (R) 44 (40)
Siegelman (D) 34 (39)
Riley is the current Governor, Baxley is the current Lt. Governor (yes, those offices are elected separately), Siegelman was Governor prior to Riley and His Holiness needs no introduction. Go read the article, it does quite a fine job of analysis. Highlights:
- Siegelman has been and continues to be under federal investigation for allegations of corruption during his gubenatorial term.
- Of the four, Moore had the weakest in-party support in a general election (51% vs. Baxley)
- If the Defense of the Sanctity of Marriage amendment referendum coincides with the Republican primaries, Moore could see a large enough bump to beat Riley.
- None of the four have officially announced their candidacy.
Interesting footnote: no Alabama governor has served two consecutive terms since Wallace. The only incumbent to win re-election in that period was Guy Hunt. Hunt was convicted of illegally using campaign funds to pay off personal debts and removed from office in 1993.
Also interesting to note that until 1968, incumbents weren't allow to run for a second term, thus making Wallace and Hunt the only incumbent governors to win re-election. A consitutional amendment set term limits to two consecutive terms (though it does allow for non-consecutive terms - Wallace served again from 1983-87).
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