Wub's Ramblings
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "wubwub" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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08:52 pm
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/52931554/11303579) [Link] |
No Pork at Internation Conference Because Muslims Don't Like It...
Reminds me of the old saying: If you don't like something, don't do it...
Because some Muslims at the International Conference don't like pork, no one at the International Conference gets to eat Pork.
I really hate hearing about ignorance like this. I feel like eating a batch of bacon now.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood:  annoyed
Current Music: Lexx - White Trash
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose
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06:30 pm
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WTF??? You don't have to drive to be convicted of drunk driving???!!!
I've posted before about how stoopid the war on drunk driving has become (I'm too lazy at the moment to look up my previous posts, just trust me on this one), but this one has to take the cake.
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that a man sitting drunk in the car without the keys in the ignition can still be prosecuted for drunk driving.
The court's 5-0 ruling came in the case of Michael Cyr, who was arrested in Manchester in February 2005 in a parking lot near a bar. He had started his car remotely and then sat in the driver's seat intoxicated, but never put the key into the ignition and didn't drive anywhere.
Now this is the guy's third conviction, so he is clearly a repeat offender and exactly the person the drunk driving laws should be targeting. But this is really ridiculous.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: annoyed
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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11:11 am
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Diebold Admits All Versions of Their Software Delete Ballots Without Notice
I know its beating the long-dead don't-use-electronic-voting-machines horse, but it still bears repeating until we get rid of this first batch of clearly corrupt batch of machines.
Bounced from The Brad Blog, at a public hearing about how incompetent Diebold was, the Western Region Manager for Diebold admits that their machine will delete ballots with no alert, no verification, and no logging.
Every time I read another article about how incompetent these machines are I really just can not fathom the depths of stoopidity this company must have plumbed to find project managers and coders that would design it this way. I would think that a CIS 101 student would be smart enough to design a better system and I know that any coder worth their salt would be embarrassed to have released such a shoddy product.
The worst part of all this is that good vote counting software is incredibly easy to write (HINT: Write only tables) and adequately secure counting software is not that much harder (HINT: change the default passwords), but because of the criminally corrupt nature of this round of product it will be decades before the public will trust another electronic system.
So the take away message is that if you have to vote for anything, make sure you do it by hand on paper. And if your local district wants electronic machines, make sure the machines are open to full testing by anyone, not just corrupt company shills.
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Desert Storm-Orbital
Tags: corruption, idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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11:37 am
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Oh the Irony, it hurts: Pat Robertson on the inconsistencies in the Koran
Mr Pot, meet Mr Kettle
In answering a question on if Christians should read the Koran:
It won’t be wrong if somebody studies Islam, but they need guided study, because somebody needs to go along and point out the incredible inconsistencies in that book.
and this gem:
Many people who are Muslim don’t know what the Koran says. And when you begin to tell them, they say, “Well, I don’t believe that.” And you say, “Well, it’s in your sacred book. It’s supposed to be holy words.”
From reddit via Cynical-C Blog
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood:  amused
Current Music: Nothing Left 1-Orbital
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose
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02:57 pm
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Are We Teaching Our Kids to Fear Men?
I blogged a while ago about our current moral panic about sexual predators that is leading people to worry that every man is a potential predator.
Today's entry is from the Wall Street Journal
When children get lost in a mall, they're supposed to find a "low-risk adult" to help them. Guidelines issued by police departments and child-safety groups often encourage them to look for "a pregnant woman," "a mother pushing a stroller" or "a grandmother."
The implied message: Men, even dads pushing strollers, are "high-risk."
Its not like I've been seeing a rush of articles about this topic, but I have noticed it and I do get nervous sometimes when out with the kids without wubwife.
Here's a couple other related links.
Bad outcomes of "Sex Offender Paranoia". In particular is the tragedy noted in 8 where a young girl drowned when she wandered away from her parents. A man saw the girl wandering loose but didn't stop to help for fear that he would be accused of abducting the child.
In the Reddit discussion on the link, a man details his run-in with the law because he dared to help a few little kids with their shoes.
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Over Mode-Infected Mushroom
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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05:19 pm
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Update from Hallmark
Update from yesterday's post.
Hallmark replied to my complaint. It was the standard "We honour your privacy" etc kind of stuff, but unless they did it, I can't imagine how the AFA got my name. The email I used was unique to Hallmark and it is incredibly unlikely the AFA just guessed it.
If Hallmark didn't do it, then one of their employees did it, which is just as bad, IMHO. Either way, I'm still pissed (got another stoopid email from Wildmon just a few minutes ago)
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Basic Instinct - CD 1-Armin van Buuren
Tags: idiots on the loose
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06:40 pm
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What the Fuck??? Hallmark sold my name to Wildmon and the AFA!
Whenever I submit my email to a website, I tend to use a unique email so if I start to get spammed from them I can block just that email and be done with it.
So anyway, about a month ago, I started getting crap from the loonies at the AFA. At first I just ignored them. I had subscribed to a Republican list during the election and I figured they sold me out to all the right-wing wackos.
But today I got a message from AFA and actually looked at it and realized that they were sending it to the address I had given Hallmark!!! What the Fuck!!!!
I knew Hallmark was not exactly progressive, but I didn't know they associated with such radical hate groups as the AFA.
Feel free to complain here.
I have recently started getting email messages from the American Family Association using the email address I gave to you.
I would never have given your company my email address if I had any idea that you would pass it along, much less if I knew you would pass it along to such reprehensible groups as the AFA. And I know it was your company that gave it to them since I used a unique email when I registered.
If this is the kind of hate group your company chooses to associate with, that is your business.
I no longer plan shop at Hallmark or hallmark.com, and I will do what I can to tell others about the groups your company associates with. I will do what I can to ensure that no one I know does business with you.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: annoyed
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose
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07:41 pm
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“If I didn’t take my son’s life, he would have lost his eternal salvation”
Not much I can say about this story from Virginia Beach.
Apparently this guy was a major jesus freak (his myspace status read: "Jesus Freak in the mood for ice cream" (unfortunately myspace has deleted the accounts)) and he didn't want his son to lose his salvation.
Sad when religion drives people to be crazy, but I've said before that the logical extension of "eternal happiness" and loving someone is that you would want to kill them so they could never risk damnation and eternal torture. A truly loving parent would kill their child immediately after baptism to prevent devils from tempting their child and having their child not get salvation.
This is what dogma breeds. I suspect we just don't hear about how often this really happens.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: disgusted
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose
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09:47 pm
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What Century are we in??? School in Oklahoma Accuses Girl of "Witchcraft"
I mean, really... WTF???
Grabbed this one off Pharyngula: Oklahoma school administrators accuse a student of witchcraft. (the ACLU is involved too)
Just the thought that anyone in 21st century America would even think witchcraft is real is scary. But its one thing to think your bible tells you to fear witches, and entirely another to violate a teenager's rights because you think she is casting hexes.
And make no mistake about it, this trouble is being brewed up because hysterical theists. They already believe in unprovable invisible things, so its easy for them to just add a few more ridiculous claims tot he mix.
"It's hard for me to believe that in the year 2000 I am walking into court to defend my daughter against charges of witchcraft brought by her own school," said Timothy Blackbear. "But if that's what it takes to clear her record and get her life back to normal, that's what we'll do."
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: amazed
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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08:10 pm
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Here's a Fucking Surprise: Entrenched Energy Companies are Hesitant About New Energy Policy
Is it really a big surprise for anyone outside of the paid-politicians in D.C that entrenched energy companies don't think new energy ideas are feasible in the near-term??
For the past decade we've been funneling money to the current energy producers to "encourage" them to do research into new energy solutions. And not surprisingly, very little has come of the money.
Is it really that fucking surprising to anyone? Of course these companies are slowing down research. The research could point to new technologies that will undermine their core business. Technologies that will undoubtedly be embraced by younger, more nimble companies that will eventually usurp the old fossils.
Now that Obama has a new green energy policy, the old companies are basically saying "slow down there, nothing new is coming soon". And of course its not coming soon from them. They have an extremely vested interest in it not coming anytime soon. The farther off new tech is, the longer they can wait before spending any money to modernize. The longer they can keep off competition, the more they can make now.
Just imagine what we could be seeing now if, instead of spending money on the group that does not want change and improvements, and instead invested it like venture capital for new-tech start-ups.
The big companies will be part of the new tech world, but not until they are forced to face real competition from companies offering real new solutions. And they wont have to face competition until we start sending money to companies that know we can do it now, not later.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: annoyed
Tags: corruption, idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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09:45 pm
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I Called It! Wingnuts Already Calling Obama Not-President
I planned on watching the hilights of the inauguration on YouTube, but ended up watching it live.
When it came time for the oath there was a minor flub between Roberts and Obama. When it happened I told wubwife that the wacko wingnuts would be all over the mistake and sure enough Chris Wallace started it up:
Well, again, we're wondering here whether or not Barack Obama in fact is the president of the United States
Keep it classy, guys...
Also at the LA Times
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: amused
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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08:48 pm
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Sexual Injustice
A 17-year-old girl has sex with a 14-year-old boy and is charged with misdemeanor sexual assault.
Just the previous day, a 17-year-old boy was charged with a felony for having sex with a 14-year-old girl (who told him she was 16).
source: Sheboygan Press
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: annoyed
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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11:15 am
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"Hokey Pokey" a Religious Hate Song
Here's a curious item I picked up from the fine folks at the Dogma Free America Podcast; seems some Catholics in Scotland think singing the Hokey Pokey may constitute an act of religious hatred.
A spokesman for the leader of the church in Scotland said the song had disturbing origins.
Critics claim that Puritans composed the song in the 18th century in an attempt to mock the actions and language of priests leading the Latin mass.
I searched around and found a wikipedia article and a second reference, but it seems this interpretation of the history of the song is in dispute.
I think the idea that the Hokey Pokey originated as a mockery of the Catholic Church is a fascinating and funny idea. I enjoy mocking religion, and the thought that some groups hundreds of years ago were mocking each others rituals is just funnee.
Regardless of the origins of the song, clearly the modern singing of the song has nothing to do with what some 18th century shaker thought about the church.
This sounds like another case of the Streisand Effect. Now that they've brought up the idea that it pisses off Catholics then sure people will start to do it to piss off the Catholics whereas before it was just a silly song to sing to your football rivals.
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood:  confused
Current Music: Trance Tuesday #017 - track 3-Tranceportal.org
Tags: freelink, funnee, idiots on the loose
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06:00 pm
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Special Idiot Muslim Comments Double Issue!
A good man can do good things without religion. And a bad man can do bad things with religion. But to be really stoopid it takes religion.
Saudi Cleric Calls for 'One-Eyed' Niqabs
An older story (from Oct 3), but still hilariously stoopid.
Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive.
But even better!
'Scientific' Proof that Women Cannot Talk and Remember Simultaneously
"Two areas in a woman's brain are activated when she talks. As we can see, there are many centers of speech in a woman's brain. There is a center in each lobe, while in the case of a man, there is only one center, here. The opposite center does not operate during speech, because it is busy remembering."
"When a Woman Talks, She Might Use the Part of the Brain Containing the Memory for Talking – And That's It, The Data is Lost"
Be careful reading these stories, the stoopid, it hurts...
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: stupified
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose
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01:53 pm
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Security Theater
Today's episode of Security Theater
Here's a disturbing little blurb: Apparently as recently as 2007 all you needed to bring a gun on a plane was a basic government ID and a "Flying While Armed" form...
It took them until 2007 to tighten marshal rules to require advance authorization and increased screening of IDs.
You've really got to wonder if anyone with any brains even bothered to think about these things when they were making up the rules.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: annoyed
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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10:00 pm
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Victory for the good guys
South Carolina Residents Will Have To Settle For Bumper Stickers
I can't find the earlier link, but I've commented before on the utterly ridiculous "I Believe" license plates that were enacted in South Carolina. Well, luckily someone actually noticed that the plates were blatantly Christian and were patently unconstitutional.
What really makes the whole thing sick is that the idiots who proposed the law are openly and unabashedly admitting that they don't care that the law was unconstitutional
Asked by a reporter if he would support a license plate for Islam, Rep. Bill Sandifer replied, “Absolutely and positively no…. I would not because of my personal belief, and because I believe that wouldn’t be the wish of the majority of the constituency in this house district.”
via The Daily Profaner
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: glad
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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10:32 am
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Pointless Bureaucracy
Ok, so its about time for Wubling #1 to get his driver's permit (which in-of-itself is a scary thing).
In order to get his permit, he has to have a birth certificate and his SS card.
Well, I can't find his SS card so wubwife goes to the SS office to get a new one.
In order to get his SS card, we need his birth certificate (which she brought along), and one form of "identification" which could be a school or activity ID or even a report card.
That is just pointlessly stoopid. We already have his birth certificate which has lots of security features to prevent duplication or forging, but it would take about 10 minutes with a word processor to make up a believable report card because it's not like the SS office would have any clue if the report card is real or not. And they would accept all kinds of "activity ID"s, so that would take just a few more minutes to fake.
Yet more useless "feel good" regulations that annoy more than they could possibly help. :-/
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Trance Tuesday #042 - Part 6-Tranceportal.org
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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11:39 am
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The 7 Dumbest Things Ever Done by Airport Security
Here's a good list from Cracked:
The 7 Dumbest Things Ever Done by Airport Security.
There may be more dumb things done, as well as more dangerous things done, but this list does hit on some of the best of the dumbest.
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Burst Generator-The Chemical Brothers
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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05:36 pm
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"Religion of Peace" = Pure Barbarism
In this clip from a popular Saudi talk show, the host and guests calmly discuss the proper way to beat your wife according to Allah's will. They even compare how to treat your wife with how one might treat your donkey or other animals.
It's just sad and sick.
Current Location: cumfy chair
Current Mood: disgusted
Tags: freelink, idiots on the loose
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11:15 am
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TSA Translation
I ran across the following on the TSA's Website:
TSA Week at a Glance (November 10, 2008 - November 16, 2008)
* 11 passengers were arrested due to suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents
* 35 firearms found at checkpoints
* 2 artfully concealed prohibited items found at checkpoints
* 12 incidents that involved a checkpoint closure, terminal evacuation or sterile area breach
As a service to you, I'm going to translate that into English:
* 11 passengers were arrested due to suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents
2 people questioned why they had to take off their shoes at the scanners
1 person made idle jokes in the long lines
3 people smudged food their boarding passes
1 paraplegic refused to get out of their wheelchair
4 people spoke english with a middle-eastern accent
* 35 firearms found at checkpoints
35 idiots forgot to unpack their guns
* 2 artfully concealed prohibited items found at checkpoints
2 people forgot a pair of tweezers at the bottom of their purse
* 12 incidents that involved a checkpoint closure, terminal evacuation or sterile area breach
12 bottles of water spilled on the floor.
Current Location: wurk
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Trance Tuesday #022 - track 1-Tranceportal.org
Tags: idiots on the loose, stoopidity
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