52tease.com Buzzzzz (linkage only)

We're going on Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:53:00 +0000

That's right, we're closing up shop for a few weeks of much-needed R&R. That means you are not going to see a new t-shirt this week, next week, or the week after. If you don't think you can miss your 52tease fix for that long, might we recommend you visit Uneetee.com? They offer a new t-shirt design on sale every day. Trust me, we wouldn't recommend a direct competitor unless their stuff were truly eye-popping (and they have an affiliate program). We just picked up a beauty of a shirt from them last week.

If shopping Zen isn't your thing, then perhaps the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba will lighten your day.

"At the age of 14, Sathya Sai Baba declared to his parents that he had come to this world with a mission to re-establish the principle of Righteousness, to motivate love for God and service to fellow man. Since then, he has consistently called on all mankind to Love All, Serve All and has repeatedly asserted that the essence of all scriptures is Help Ever, Hurt Never! Through his speeches and writings, Sathya Sai Baba has offered a veritable ocean of knowledge and guidance on all aspects of spiritual, religious, and value-oriented living. He has often repeated that it is not necessary to drink the whole ocean to know its taste, that it is not necessary to read all scriptures to live a life of joy, peace, and love. It is enough to put into practice one aspect of spiritual teaching. A few drops of the ocean of Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, an attempt to encapsulate its essence, follows. Sathya Sai Baba urges mankind to:

• Believe in God --for there is only ONE GOD for all mankind, though He may be called by many names.

• Follow sincerely their respective religions and live their daily lives in consonance with the teachings of good behavior and morality.

• Respect all other religions --for no religion advocates the negative and lower qualities of man.

• Perform selfless service to the poor, the sick, and the needy without thought of reward or fame.

• Cultivate in their lives the values of truth, divine love, right conduct, peace, and nonviolence and promote these values among all.

• Be patriotic and respect the laws of the country in which they..."

Yes, it just ends like that. He must have dozed off while dictating the website. We're not going to be dozing, though. See you in September with newly invigorated t-shirt antics!

WTF? This Just Arrived in our Inbox

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:30:00 +0000

HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL

FROM: GEORGE WALKER BUSH
DEAR SIR / MADAM,

I AM GEORGE WALKER BUSH, SON OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, AND CURRENTLY SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS LETTER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT
MET NEITHER IN PERSON NOR BY CORRESPONDENCE. I CAME TO KNOW OF YOU IN MY SEARCH
FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE A VERY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS
TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF A HUGE SUM OF MONEY TO AN ACCOUNT
REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE.

I AM WRITING YOU IN ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE PRIMARILY TO SEEK YOUR ASSISTANCE IN
ACQUIRING OIL FUNDS THAT ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ. MY
PARTNERS AND I SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING A TRANSACTION BEGUN BY MY
FATHER, WHO HAS LONG BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE EXTRACTION OF PETROLEUM IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND BRAVELY SERVED HIS COUNTRY AS DIRECTOR OF THE
UNITED STATES CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

IN THE DECADE OF THE NINETEEN-EIGHTIES, MY FATHER, THEN VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SOUGHT TO WORK WITH THE GOOD OFFICES OF THE PRESIDENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ TO REGAIN LOST OIL REVENUE SOURCES IN THE NEIGHBORING
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN. THIS UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURE WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY A
FALLING OUT WITH HIS IRAQI PARTNER, WHO SOUGHT TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL OIL
REVENUE SOURCES IN THE NEIGHBORING EMIRATE OF KUWAIT, A WHOLLY-OWNED
U.S.-BRITISH SUBSIDIARY.

MY FATHER RE-SECURED THE PETROLEUM ASSETS OF KUWAIT IN 1991 AT A COST OF
SIXTY-ONE BILLION U.S. DOLLARS ($61,000,000,000). OUT OF THAT COST,
THIRTY-SIX BILLION DOLLARS ($36,000,000,000) WERE SUPPLIED BY HIS PARTNERS IN
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER PERSIAN GULF MONARCHIES, AND SIXTEEN
BILLION DOLLARS ($16,000,000,000) BY GERMAN AND JAPANESE PARTNERS.

BUT MY FATHER'S FORMER IRAQI BUSINESS PARTNER REMAINED IN CONTROL OF THE
REPUBLIC OF IRAQ AND ITS PETROLEUM RESERVES.

MY FAMILY IS CALLING FOR YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN FUNDING THE REMOVAL OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ AND ACQUIRING THE PETROLEUM ASSETS OF HIS
COUNTRY, AS COMPENSATION FOR THE COSTS OF REMOVING HIM FROM POWER.

UNFORTUNATELY, OUR PARTNERS FROM 1991 ARE NOT WILLING TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF
THIS NEW VENTURE, WHICH IN ITS UPCOMING PHASE MAY COST THE SUM OF 100 BILLION
TO 200 BILLION DOLLARS ($100,000,000,000 - $200,000,000,000), BOTH IN THE
INITIAL ACQUISITION AND IN LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT.

WITHOUT THE FUNDS FROM OUR 1991 PARTNERS, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE
OIL REVENUE TRAPPED WITHIN IRAQ. THAT IS WHY MY FAMILY AND OUR COLLEAGUES ARE
URGENTLY SEEKING YOUR GRACIOUS ASSISTANCE. OUR DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES IN THIS
BUSINESS TRANSACTION INCLUDE THE SITTING VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, RICHARD CHENEY, WHO IS AN ORIGINAL PARTNER IN THE IRAQ VENTURE AND
FORMER HEAD OF THE ALLIBURTON OIL COMPANY, AND CONDOLEEZA RICE, WHOSE
PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION TO THE VENTURE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THE NAMING OF A
CHEVRON OIL TANKER AFTER HER.

I WOULD BESEECH YOU TO TRANSFER A SUM EQUALING TEN TO TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT
(10-25 %) OF YOUR YEARLY INCOME TO OUR ACCOUNT TO AID IN THIS IMPORTANT
VENTURE. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL
FUNCTION AS OUR TRUSTED INTERMEDIARY. I PROPOSE THAT YOU MAKE THIS TRANSFER
BEFORE THE FIFTEENTH (15TH) OF THE MONTH OF APRIL.

I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD MAKE ANYONE APPREHENSIVE AND
WORRIED. BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY. A
BOLD STEP TAKEN SHALL NOT BE REGRETTED, I ASSURE YOU. PLEASE DO BE INFORMED
THAT THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CO-OPERATE
IN THIS TRANSACTION, PLEASE CONTACT OUR INTERMEDIARY REPRESENTATIVES TO FURTHER
DISCUSS THE MATTER.

I PRAY THAT YOU UNDERSTAND OUR PLIGHT. MY FAMILY AND OUR COLLEAGUES WILL BE
FOREVER GRATEFUL. PLEASE REPLY IN STRICT CONFIDENCE TO THE CONTACT NUMBERS
BELOW.

SINCERELY WITH WARM REGARDS,
GEORGE WALKER BUSH

Thriller (The Phillipino Inmate Version)

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:37:00 +0000

After dwelling on death and destruction yesterday (fortunately, they've recently downgraded the death toll from possibly thirty to closer to ten), we figure it's a good idea to liven our audience with some good afterlife living.

This video is a recreation of Michael Jackson's Thriller as performed by over 1,500 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, located in the Philippines. And yes, the "girl" in this video is played by a man. Do you think they would really drop a girl into the center of 1,500 inmates and expect her to come out unscathed?

Not enough Thriller action for you? Check out this previously popular video of an entire wedding party getting freaky (and funky) or this hilarious Indian (as in India) version of Thriller.

If you've actually taken the time to watch all three of these videos, it's very likely that you're ready to learn how to do the Thriller dance yourself. Consider this online Thriller instructional video and send us your own homemade Thriller video.

Bridge Collapse Center of Attention

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:22:00 +0000

Although Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan both came close when they had their recent brush with the law, we haven't seen any single news event take over the picture box of Yahoo News' popular page since Knut the Polar Bear.

Unlike the celebration of "cuteness" that is Knut, this attention is derived from calamity.

The I-35W Mississippi River bridge shares the same mile of the Mississippi as two of Minneapolis' other spectacular catastrophes: the explosion of the Washburn "A" Mill in 1878 and the collapse of the tunnel under Hennepin Island in 1869, which nearly destroyed St. Anthony Falls.

The I-35W bridge was notable for not having any piers in the water. Instead, the main support piers were located on the banks of the river, and were built of tubular-shaped concrete pillars. The main bridge deck was supported by a single 458 foot long steel arch over a 390 foot wide navigation channel. Two sets of locks and dams just upriver of the bridge were constructed a few years earlier to allow passage past Saint Anthony Falls. The bridge was one of the widest bridges in the Twin Cities area and provided an important link for Interstate 35W traffic.

On Wednesday, August 1, 2007, the bridge failed catastrophically at 6:05 p.m. CDT (2305 GMT) during the evening rush hour, causing 50 or more vehicles, their occupants, and several construction workers to fall into the river or to its banks. Several vehicles caught fire among the debris, including a semi-truck, forcing fire crews to route hoses from several blocks away in an attempt to put out the flames. In addition, a portion of the bridge fell onto a freight train parked beneath the structure. No one was on the train and the line carries no passenger trains.

Road construction on the bridge had been ongoing for several weeks prior to the collapse. Shortly before the incident, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced that it would reduce the bridge to one lane in each direction during the late evenings of July 31 and August 1.

Over 60 people were reported injured in the collapse, many of them severely, and initial reports indicated at least nine deaths, although that number has officially been reduced to four confirmed. Drivers were stranded on parts of the collapsed bridge that were not submerged. 60 children, aged four to 14, were riding a school bus that was on the bridge at the time of the collapse, returning from a field trip. The bus made it most of the way across the bridge before the roadway collapsed underneath the vehicle. Reports indicate that all passengers on the bus escaped safely.

At this time, the cause of the collapse remains unknown. A 2001 Mn/DOT report indicated weakness at the joints of the steel that held the concrete deck above the river, due to "unanticipated out of plane distortion" of the steel girders. The report also noted a concern about lack of redundancy in the main truss system. Being a non-redundant structure, the bridge had a greater risk of collapse in the event of any single structural failure. In 2005, the bridge had been characterized as "structurally deficient" and in possible need of replacement. This was reportedly reflected by its rating in the US Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory database.

BTW -- If you have yet to use Wikipedia for breaking news coverage, you are denying yourself an amazingly helpful resource in making heads or tales of conflicting news reports.

Why There's No Soda Vending Machine at The Outpost

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:37:00 +0000

Water for Life USA (who obviously, has a stake in turning you off soda and onto alternatives like...I don't know--water!?) brings to light a couple of ways that the soda you drink is literally eating you from the inside out:

1. pH of Soda = pH of Vinegar
2. Drink Soda, Leach Calcium
3. Soda Will Dissolve your Tooth Enamel
4. Each Additional Soda Increases Risk for Obesity by 1.6 times
5. Children Who Drink Soda Break Bones More Easily
6. Diet Soda Isn’t Any Better
7. Caffeine Could Jeopardize the Human Race
8. Watch Out for a Asthma and a Rash

Let the Intersphere Choose Your Presidential Candidate

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:51:00 +0000

Is the Presidential primary field already too muddled for you? Can't watch the soundbites candidates are putting out on Youtube (unless they're Republican candidates, of course)?

Why not let the Intersphere decide the ideal candidate for you?

Using the publicly available information from 2decide.com (an awesome resource in its own right), Matt Waterman has put together an excellent tool that allows you to input your opinion on twenty five "hot topic" issues, as well as how important that issue is to you, and outputs your alignment with all the current candidates for the position of "The Commander Guy". (click the picture to check it out)

Not surprisingly, we find ourselves mostly aligned with Kucinich (69 points, only disagreeing on "No Child Left Behind") and Gravel (58 points with no disagreements---gotta love that Gravel).

The real shocker came, though, when we discovered that the front runners are truly neck in neck for us as well. While Obama scored 38 points, Edwards and Clinton were both tied with 37 points.

Unfortunately, the Intersphere can't do all your heavy lifting for you. Once you get your score, it's up to you to weight the pros and cons of each of the issues with which you find yourself in disagreement with the candidates.

As a quick aside, apparently Duncan Hunter is the devil himself with minus 71 points.

Why We Will Never Recommend Dreamhost

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:46:00 +0000

We just wonder what this exchange would look like if we browsed our own websites more than once a week. Any recommendations for better hosts who also allow a ton of domain names for one hosting account?

How Walkable is Your Neighborhood?

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:38:00 +0000

We intentionally base The Outpost in an area that is both accessible to the 52tease.com team via many modes of transportation and provides walking access to many different amenities within walking distance. Trust me, this leads to a much happier crew than should we be situated off of some highway anywhere.

We've just discovered that The Outpost has a "walk score" of over 83 (out of 100). What is a "walk score" you ask?

Well, all you have to do is input your address into the Walkscore.com interface and they use Google Maps information to establish your "walk score" based on the following factors:

Walkable communities tend to have the following characteristics:

A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it's a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
Density: The neighborhood is compact, rather than spread out, which brings people closer to stores and jobs and makes public transportation more cost effective.
Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
Accessibility: The neighborhood is accessible to everyone and has wheelchair access, plenty of benches with shade, sidewalks on all streets, etc.
Well connected, speed controlled streets: Streets form a connected grid that improves traffic by providing many routes to any destination. Streets are narrow to control speed, and shaded by trees to protect pedestrians.
Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
Close schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

Of course, there are a few issues with their uber-tech methods:

We'll be the first to admit that Walk Score is just an approximation of walkability. There are a number of factors that contribute to walkability that are not part of our algorithm:

Street width: Narrow streets are better for walking because they slow traffic.
Block length: Short blocks make it easier to navigate the grid.
Freeways: Freeways can divide neighborhoods and hurt walkability.
Public transit: Good public transit is important for walkable neighborhoods.
Safety: How much crime is in the neighborhood? How many traffic accidents are there? Are crosswalks well marked and streets well lit?
Aesthetics: Are the sidewalks shaded by trees? Are there appealing parks and public spaces?
Pedestrian-friendly design: Are buildings close to the sidewalk with parking in back? If buildings have large parking lots in front, they are less inviting to pedestrians.

As MarlonBain said, "You should use the Web 3.0 app called going outside and investigating the world for yourself" before deciding whether a neighborhood is walkable!

Although we don't recommend sharing any personally identifiable information, post your Walkscore.com rating in the comments. Who knows? Maybe the person with the highest, or lowest, verifiable walkscore will get a free shirt?

Interfacing Without a Keyboard or Mouse Buttons

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:12:00 +0000

Dontclick.it is an interesting experiment in "click-free navigation". Not only does this experimental (literally, it is an experiment created and maintained by Alex Frank, a German Communication Design student) site offer varying ways of interacting with a website, including polls, forums and feedback, it also keeps track of how many times you couldn't resist the urge to click a button. In fact, you can see the recorded motions and actions of at least the twenty people who visited the site prior to you.

The image to the right is a fun concept to keep those itchy fingers away from the mouse buttons. Of course, we have to admit that we only love the "Mouse Wrap" because it's so punny.

Although you have to click the image or the above link to get to the website (and click once to enter the flash experience), give your tired pointer and middle finger a rest and head on over to check it out.

How Corrupt Can the Bushies Be?

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:03:00 +0000

Yes. That's a rhetorical question. If you're looking for empirical proof, look no farther than Think Progress' latest roundup of their illegal politicization of many federal agencies:

Office of Faith Based Initiatives: The office was “used almost exclusively to win political points with both evangelical Christians and traditionally Democratic minorities. The office’s primary mission, providing financial support to charities that serve the poor, never got the presidential support it needed to succeed.” [MSNBC, 10/13/06]

General Services Administration: After a GSA meeting during which White House deputy director of political affairs Scott Jennings gave a PowerPoint presentation that included slides listing Democratic and Republican seats the White House viewed as vulnerable in 2008, a map of contested Senate seats and other information on 2008 election strategy, GSA Administrator Lurita Doan asked how GSA could help “our candidates.” Special Counsel Scott Bloch has since advised the President that Doan should “be disciplined to the fullest extent for her serious violation of the Hatch Act.” [Congress Daily, 6/12/07]

Department of Justice: “Unlike federal judges, immigration judges are civil service employees, to be appointed by the attorney general based on professional qualifications, not their politics. [During Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s aide Monica Goodling’s] tenure, vacancies were apparently not always posted and she selected lawyers to be considered for interviews based in part on their loyalty to the Republican Party and the Bush administration.” [New York Times, 5/25/07]

Department of Justice: “After the 2004 election, administration officials quietly began drawing up a list of US attorneys to replace. Considerations included their perceived loyalty to Bush and a desire by White House political adviser Karl Rove to increase voter fraud prosecutions, documents and testimony have shown. Most of the proposed firings were for US attorneys in states with closely divided elections. Among those later fired was David Iglesias, from the battleground state of New Mexico, where many of his fellow Republicans had demanded more aggressive voter fraud probes.” [Boston Globe, 5/6/07]

Interior Department: “A midlevel Interior Department official” received a “phone call from [Vice President Dick] Cheney in 2001, setting in motion a secret move to undermine the science of federal biologists who had said diverting water from the Klamath would violate the Endangered Species Act and devastate two imperiled species of fish.” [The Oregonian, 6/30/07]

Interior Department: Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Julie MacDonald has consistently “rejected staff scientists’ recommendations to protect imperiled animals and plants under the Endangered Species Act.” A civil engineer with no training in biology, she has “overruled and disparaged” the findings of her staff, instead relying on the recommendations of political and industry groups. [Washington Post, 10/30/06]

Defense Department: “[T]he Pentagon’s public affairs division has become a dumping ground for administration cronies…seek[ing] to bypass the traditional media and work directly with talk radio and bloggers, mostly those with a heavily conservative tilt.” [Harper’s Magazine, 7/16/07]

Defense Department: “The Defense Department…has stepped up intelligence collection inside this country since 9/11, which now includes the monitoring of peaceful anti-war and counter-military recruitment groups.” [MSNBC, 9/14/05]

NASA: “The top climate scientist at NASA says the Bush administration has tried to stop him from speaking out since he gave a lecture last month calling for prompt reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming…officials at NASA headquarters had ordered the public affairs staff to review his coming lectures, papers, postings on the Goddard [Institute for Space Studies] Web site and requests for interviews from journalists.” [New York Times, 1/29/06]

Food and Drug Administration: “The top Food and Drug Administration official in charge of women’s health issues…resigned in protest against the agency’s decision to further delay a final ruling on whether the ‘morning-after pill’ should be made more easily accessible. ‘I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled,’ she wrote in an e-mail to her staff and FDA colleagues.” [Washington Post, 9/1/05]

Health and Human Services: “An internal investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services confirms that the top Medicare official threatened to fire the program’s chief actuary if he told Congress that drug benefits would probably cost much more than the White House acknowledged.” [New York Times, 7/7/04]

Health and Human Services: “The Department of Health and Human Services recently revised its website, 4Parents.gov, and replaced factual data designed to help parents talk about preventing teen pregnancy with biased and misleading claims” reflecting administration policy. [NARAL, 7/10/07]

Office of the Surgeon General: “The first U.S. surgeon general appointed by President George W. Bush accused the administration on Tuesday of political interference and muzzling him on key issues like embryonic stem cell research.” [Reuters, 7/10/07]

Environmental Protection Agency: In a government report on the state of the environment, strong language that “climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment” was stricken by the White House, as was government research that suggests recent climate change is “likely mostly due to human activities.” The changes were protested by EPA staffers, who wrote in a confidential memo that the report “no longer accurately represents scientific consensus on climate change.” [CBS, 6/19/03]

Office of National Drug Control Policy: “At the request of Sara Taylor, the former White House Director of Political Affairs, John Walters, the nation’s drug czar, and his deputies traveled to 20 events with vulnerable Republican members of Congress in the months prior to the 2006 elections. The trips were paid for by federal taxpayers and several were combined with the announcement of federal grants or actions that benefited the districts of the Republican members.” [House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, 6/17/07]

Corporation for Public Broadcasting: During his tenure, former CPB chairman Kenneth Tomlinson “moved to address what he contend[ed was] the left-leaning lineup of news programs at PBS by advocating the addition of new shows with a conservative outlook.” He “failed to strike a proper balance by infusing politics into so many decisions at CPB” and by “in essence, allowing the White House to help direct plans of the CPB.” According to Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, this extreme politicization was “unprecedented.” [National Public Radio, 6/20/05]

Doesn't it just make you want to cry (or call for impeachment, at the very least)?

The Majority Does Not Rule America

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:34:00 +0000

Jordan at introspections.org has composed a nice, referenced article about ten ways in which our political system does not adhere to the "majority rules" principle:

10. Marijuana Decriminalization. A 2007 poll conducted by Zogby International indicates that a slight majority of Americans favour the abolishment of criminal penalties for minor marijuana offenses: “Forty-nine percent of respondents, including 57 percent of men, said they would support “a law in Congress that would eliminate federal penalties for the personal use of marijuana by adults and allow states to adopt their own policies on marijuana.” Only 48 percent of those polled said they oppose such a law; three percent were undecided. The poll has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.” ¹ Growing numbers are also in favour of outright legalization with 41% agreeing that “the government should treat marijuana more or less the same way it treats alcohol: it should regulate it, control it, tax it and only make it illegal for children.” ²

9. Universal Health Care. Various polls ¹ ² find that Americans want significant changes to the current medical system, including guaranteed government coverage even if it means paying more: “Americans across party lines willing to make some sacrifice to insure that every American has access to health insurance. Sixty percent, including 62 percent of independents and 46 percent of Republicans, said they would be willing to pay more in taxes. Half said they would be willing to pay as much as $500 a year more.”

8. Stricter Campaign Finance Laws. A large majority (66%) of Americans support an increasing of regulations on how politicians obtain and spend money. ¹ Regarding the 2000 election: “Nearly three-fourths of the voters participating in the survey said Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s $70 million fund-raising tally is ‘excessive and a sign of what’s wrong with politics today.” Similarly, 40 percent said Bush is the presumptive nominee because of “the amount of money he raised.’” ²

7. Equal Aid to Palestinians and Israelis. Increasingly dissatisfied with the mid-east peace process, Americans want more results for their high levels of aid money to Israel. “in polling conducted 2002-2003, majorities supported the US withholding or reducing its aid to Israel and the Palestinians, as a means of pressure to influence their behavior”. ¹ Americans also favour increasing the levels of aid to the Palestinians contingent on acceptance of a negotiated peace proposal: “Asked in a May 2003 PIPA poll “if the Palestinians come to terms with Israel in a peace agreement, do you think the US should equalize the amount of aid it gives to Israel and to the Palestinians,” 67% indicated they would support an equalizing aid to Palestine.” and “In the same 2003 PIPA poll with a different sample, respondents were told how much aid is currently given to Palestine, and were then asked to provide their own assessment of how much aid should be given if Palestine were to make peace with Israel. The median response was to increase aid to $1 billion, more than 14 times the $70 million provided at the time. The average response indicated a willingness to increase aid to $2.37 billion (somewhat lower than the amount indicated for Israel).” The terms of peace are overwhelmingly accepted by the Palestinian population: “A total of 72.1% of Palestinians support the Taba or Oslo B Agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.” ²

6. Reducing Military Spending. When Americans were asked in a 2005 poll how they would structure the Federal budget, the answers could hardly have been more clear: “Defense spending received the deepest cut, being cut on average 31 percent — equivalent to $133.8 billion — with 65 percent of respondents cutting.” This does not indicate an unwillingness to support the troops however: “respondents particularly preserved spending for troops, including for salaries (82%), the overall number of military personnel (61%), and development of new equipment for infantry and Marines (64%). Spending relevant to fighting terrorism was also preserved, such as for intelligence (62%), troops for special operations (58%), and advanced communications systems (69%). Also preserved was spending on capabilities for conducting peacekeeping (58%), fighting insurgents or guerrillas (56%), and work on new types of high-technology missiles and bombs (55%).” ¹

5. Increased Social Spending. The same poll showing American’s interest in cutting defense spending also pointed to areas where spending would increase of people had control over the economy: “The largest increases were for social spending. Spending on human capital was especially popular including education which was increased $26.8 billion (39%) and job training and employment which was up $19 billion or a remarkable 263%. Medical research was upped on average $15.5 billion (53%). Veterans benefits were raised 40 percent or $12.5 billion and housing went up 31 percent or $9.3 billion. In most cases clear majorities favored increases (education 57%, job training 67%, medical research 57%, veteran’s benefits 63%), though only 43 percent of respondents favored increases for housing.” ¹

4. Acceptance of the Kyoto Protocol. By a wide majority Americans agree that the United States should participate in the Kyoto protocol: “In June 2005, PIPA simply asked “based on what you know, do you think the U.S. should or should not participate in the Kyoto agreement to reduce global warming.” A strong majority of 73% favored participation. This was up a bit from September 2004, when only 65% favored it. Only 16% in June 2005 and September 2004 opposed participation.” ¹ ²

3. A Diplomatic Solution with Iran. Only 20% ¹ - 40% ² of Americans support a military strike against Iran to destroy its nuclear facilities. Diplomatic action backed by sanctions is supported by about 60% of Americans: “This ABC News/Washington Post poll finds sanctions the preferred option across the political spectrum”.

2. Pulling Troops out of Iraq. Both the American citizenry and armed forces support a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq: “Most Americans support the U.S. House provision setting a timetable that calls for most U.S. troops to be out of Iraq by September 2008, said a survey released on Wednesday. According to the CBS News poll, 59 percent of those surveyed favored the provision while 37 percent opposed it.” ¹ Perhaps even more telling is the strong opposition to the war from within the army itself: “An overwhelming majority of 72% of American troops serving in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year, and more than one in four say the troops should leave immediately, a new Le Moyne College/Zogby International survey shows.” ²

1. The Impeachment of George W. Bush. Majorities of Americans think that George Bush should be impeached for one of two possible crimes: unauthorized wire-tapping of the public and/or misleading the people in to a war with Iraq. On the matter of wire-tapping: “The poll found that 52% agreed with the statement: “If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment.” 43% disagreed, and 6% said they didn’t know or declined to answer. The poll has a +/- 2.9% margin of error.” ¹ On the issue of Iraq: “The poll found that 50% agreed with the statement: “If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable by impeaching him.” 44% disagreed, and 6% said they didn’t know or declined to answer. The poll has a +/- 3.1% margin of error.” ²

Runner Up.

Jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court. “Americans are at least twice as likely to agree as to disagree that the United States should participate in the International Criminal Court (53%-22%)” ¹

10 Easy Ways to Live a Better Life

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:46:00 +0000

Adrian Savage at Lifehack.org, a very interesting website that may have flown under your radar, has an excellent list of "10 virtually instant ways to improve your life".

Of course, these all seem to boil down to one simple rule, "become Buddhist," but why involve religion when you don't have to?

1. Stop jumping to conclusions.
2. Don’t dramatize.
3. Don’t invent rules.
4. Avoid stereotyping or labeling people or situations.
5. Quit being a perfectionist.
6. Don’t over-generalize.
7. Don’t take things so personally.
8. Don’t assume your emotions are trustworthy.
9. Don’t let life get you down. Keep practicing being optimistic.
10.Don’t hang on to the past. This is my most important suggestion of all: let go and move on.

Smoking Etiquette, Japanese-Style

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:47:00 +0000

If you have ever been to Japan, you are aware of the preponderance of smokers in public and private spaces. We've heard, in fact, that the Japanese government has a strong financial interest (beyond taxation) in keeping Japan "smoker-friendly".

According to Wikipedia, Japan Tobacco (JT) "traces its origins to 1898. Incorporated in 1949 as the Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation, Japan Tobacco was a state monopoly until 1985, when it became a public company. It was two-thirds owned by the Japanese Ministry of Finance until June 2004, and the Japanese government share is presently 50%. Japan Tobacco controls 66.4% of the cigarette market in Japan."

We have to admit that, as much as we dislike cigarette smoking (seriously, why even bother putting all those pollutants in your body for nothing?), we're happy that this suicidal habit has given Japan Tobacco fodder for these informative and philosophical smoking etiquette posters. (tons more available on Japan Tobacco's website)

America-On the Right Path

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:38:00 +0000

Hey America, we're happy to see that you're heading down the right path. Hopefully, Bush's tanking approval rating relates to his regime's incompetence in every aspect of their administration and absolute disdain for anyone with less than a million in their bank account and not just a the magnetic pull of popular opinion.

Just remember...whenever you're ready to hit zero confidence/approval for the Bushies, we'll be waiting there with a drink waiting for you.

BTW, who the heck is Gallup polling that they are often so many points above the other pollsters?

Get Out of the Heat and Into the Ice House

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:46:00 +0000

Well, after kvetching about the horrible state of the world in terms of global warming, we thought it might be a nice change to offer you some cool thoughts.

The accompanying picture, of an abandoned waterfront cottage covered entirely in ice was taken in Plymouth Massachusetts.

According to the photographer, the milky white color is achieved through a mix of the salty seawater and sand.

Apparently, not only do several houses in Massachusetts get this treatment in the wintertime, but also a lighthouse in Grand Haven Michigan.

If you'd like to see a completely different take on an icehouse, you can check out this one found on a frozen Lake Superior.

Turn Off the Sun, It's Too Hot Already

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:59:00 +0000

You know when people say stuff like, "this is the hottest or driest summer on record"...have you ever wondered where they get their information?

One of the best services available to and paid for by the average American taxpayer is National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association's (NOOA--pronounced "noah") National Climate Data Center (NCDC).

They do an amazing job of creating valuable, easy to read graphics and tables compiling all available information on the climate (both nationally and globally).

We hope that you have plenty of sunscreen and a good emergency plan for those truly brutal days (movie anyone?) as it is getting hot around here folks:Monthly and Seasonal Highlights:
Contiguous U.S.:

For additional national, regional, and statewide data and graphics from 1895-present, for May, the last 3 months or other periods, please visit the Climate At A Glance page.

May Temperature: 11th warmest May in the 1895-2007 record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 63.14°F (17.30°C), which was 2.08°F (1.16°C) above the 1901-2000 (20th century) mean.
May Precipitation: 42nd driest nationally in the 1895-2007 record. An average of 2.65 inches (67 mm) fell over the contiguous U.S. in May, 0.22 inches (6 mm) below the 20th century mean for the month.
March - May Temperature (3-Month): 5th warmest in the 1895-to-present record, 2.49°F (1.38°C) above the 20th century mean. The preliminary nationally averaged March - May temperature was 54.38°F (12.43°C).
March - May Precipitation (3-month): A total of 6.91 inches (176 mm) of precipitation fell during this 3-month period, which corresponds to a ranking of 23rd driest.
December - May (6-month): The national average temperature was the 12th warmest for this 6-month period. The nationally-averaged temperature was 44.13°F (6.74°C), which was 1.68°F (0.93°C) above the 20th century mean. At 13.19 inches (335 mm), December - May precipitation was below average and ranked as the 34th driest such period in the 1895-2007 record.
January to May (Year-to-date): The 20th warmest January - May on record. The nationally averaged year-to-date temperature was 45.57°F (7.54°C), or 1.33°F (0.74°C) above the mean. The year-to-date period was the 14th driest January - May in the 113-year record, receiving a national average of 10.66 inches (271 mm) of precipitation during the period, or 1.29 inches (33 mm) below the 20th century mean.
June 2006 - May 2007: The 10th warmest such period in the 1895-2007 record. The preliminary nationally-averaged annual temperature was 54.12°F (12.29°C), which was 1.30°F (0.72°C) above the mean. Precipitation for the June 2006 - May 2007 period ranked as the 58th driest June to May in the 112-year record. The nationally-averaged annual precipitation accumulation was 29.14 inches (740 mm), ranking near the 20th century mean.

Alaska:

Alaska had its 16th warmest May since 1918 on record, with a temperature 1.40°F (0.78°C) above the 1971-2000 average.
Alaska tied for its 38th coldest spring (March - May) on record, with a temperature 1.73°F (0.96°C) below the 1971-2000 average.

Other Statewide and Regional Highlights:

May temperatures were much above average for four states, including Illinois and Missouri which ranked 7th and 9th warmest, respectively. Texas ranked 26th coldest. Precipitation across Georgia was driest on record. Alabama and Ohio were 3rd driest and North Dakota was 6th wettest on record.
March - May temperatures across Wyoming and Missouri ranked 3rd warmest on record. Illinois and Nevada were 4th warmest. Maine was the only state with below average temperatures for the period. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee ranked driest for the March - May period. Nebraska was 3rd wettest.
The Southeast region, ranked driest for the March - May period with a value of 5.88 inches (149 mm). The previous record dry spring was March - May 1914, with a total of 6.77 inches (175 mm).
Temperatures over the past 6-months (December - May) were above average in all regions except the South, which was near average. Precipitation for the period was driest in the Southeast.
December - May temperatures were much above average for six states, including Wisconsin and New Jersey. Texas was the only state with below average temperatures during the six month period. Mississippi ranked driest for the period, while Nebraska experienced its wettest such period on record.
During the year-to-date period (January - May), temperatures were near average to above average in all states except Texas and Maine. Alabama and Mississippi ranked driest for the period.
January - May precipitation across the Southeast was record driest.
June 2006 - May 2007 was near average to much-warmer-than-average for the lower 48 states. Seven states, including Florida, and California, ranked much below average for precipitation. New Hampshire was 2nd wettest for the period.

How To Survive an Atomic Bomb

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:57:00 +0000

Key kiddies, more video goodness for you. With George W. and Co's recent aggressive posturing over the Iran nuclear issue, we thought it was a good time to remember how, exactly, to survive a terrorist attack byduct taping our windows and doors for safety.Schweinewitz, the Youtube user who made this video readily available for us to embed in the Buzzzzz, describes the paranoid fanaticism of this video well:

"Explains" the dangers of the atomic bomb, the effects of radiation and what the individual should do to protect himself if caught in the open or in his home.

"Let us, without panic, face the reality of our times," says the authoritative, measured, resonant voice of Edward R. Murrow. That's good advice; unfortunately, this blatantly unrealistic film doesn't follow it.

The title is superimposed over a drawing of a mushroom cloud; if you look closely, you can see the tops of skyscrapers peeking out from the cloud base. This isn't a very reassuring visual, but the Office of Civil Defense somehow manages to put a positive spin on things.

Murrow reminds us of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as we see footage of smiling, happy Japanese. "The majority of people exposed to radiation recovered quickly," he explains. "Today, they lead normal lives."

The real, insane message of this film - one espoused by many Civil Defense films of the Truman years - is that we should stay put when the bombs fall. "An enemy would like nothing better than to have us leave our cities empty and unproductive," Murrow chastises. "Our factories will be battle stations. Production must go on if we are to win." Likewise "our offices and homes will also be posts of duty, not to be deserted." And why should we run when (according to this film) staying put during a nuclear blast is so easy? We're shown one patriotic American lying in a street gutter under a newspaper, another crouched behind a stuffed chair. A flash, some broken glass, some dust is blown through a window, and that's all there is to it.

All of this is intercut with stock footage of real A-bomb blasts, which are HUGE and incredibly scary. This bouncing back and forth between reality and the Government's rosy view isn't especially reassuring, but apparently the OCD felt its audiences wouldn't notice the difference. Murrow has a great deal of advice for the 'I'm-staying-put homeowner.' As an average family demonstrates -- moments before the bomb turns everything into a nuclear inferno -- dad puts a lid on the garbage can, sis closes the drapes, mom unplugs the iron, and everybody hides under dad's workbench with a first aid kit and a bottle of water. "Have a good flashlight on hand, " Murrow adds. "Electric lights may go out."

"If the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had known what we know about civil defense, thousands of lives would be saved." If the Soviets had known how little the US knew about civil defense, they would've nuked them.

Quick-paced, particularly for a government film. Lots of cutting. Terrific overblown musical soundtrack. Plenty of A-bomb footage. This film looks as if it had a bigger budget than most of its Civil Defense brethren.

Two Girls In Lots of Underwear

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Well, apparently people on the Internet aren't interested in Bush-bashing, environmental tips or even ways to get free ice-cream. Based on the big boost to traffic we've gotten over the past few days it has become painfully obvious that there is little more enticing to your average netizen than pictures of Britney Spears naked (or at least showing off some of her assets).

To cater to this depressingly voyeuristic crew, we would like to present to you one of the most unusual pictures of two nearly-naked girls in a shower we've ever come across.

Normally we will dutifully indicate the source for our pictures, but we had a hard time figuring our exactly where this one came from. A random Google image search (not for girls in underwear, you can be assured) pointed us to this image and our subsequent research was unable to locate the source.

If you know, we'd love to hear it. Otherwise enjoy this rather odd picture of two girls in a bathroom wearing what must be all the underwear they own. (click the pic for the fullsize version)

Britney Spears Nipple Slip (T&A)

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:24:00 +0000

Long-time readers can attest, we aren't usually the sort to devolve to nudity and celebrity nipple-slips on The Buzzzzz, but sometimes you have to break the rules. For some unknown reason, one of our scientificologists decided to see how the French "Most Popular" Yahoo News tab differs from the American version.

Boy did he get an eyeful. While an American-based search for recent Britney Spears photos in the news pulls up a bunch of boring shots of Brit at a Rockets game, the same search via the French portal pulls up quite a bit more.

You just gotta love the Babelfish translation of the story that accompanies the above picture:

Britney Spears still shows us its buttocks and its centre!

Our dear Brit-Brit still has just done his! Sunday June 11, the singer indeed appeared any attribute outside. She initially showed us her buttocks (fortunately, this time, she had thought of putting breeches!) before revealing us a centre... Eh yes, it is not for only Britney sang "Oops, I did it again"!

Apparently, "center" is a French euphemism for nipple! Not only did Britney show us a center, she showed us her center. Enjoy the nipple fanboys!

The only place we could find any information about the whereabouts of this photo, amazingly enough, was via the Indian (as in India, not native American) news:

"Once again, the 'Toxic' singer exposed her tush to the paparazzi while leaving Hollywood hotspot Joseph's.

Spears, who was wearing a low-cut satin outfit, flashed her butt to the shutterbugs while climbing into the backseat of her car."

This just in, tons of better, bigger pictures here. Enjoy!

Zoomquilt--The Infinite Loop

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:29:00 +0000

Although 1337 Haxors (big nerds) may decry these two "images" as "older than the Internet itself," we know plenty of plebeians (normal folks) who have yet to experience that awesomeness that is the infinitely zoomable picture called Zoomquilt.

Don't worry, we would never try to direct you to something "older than the Internet itself" we think you've already experienced like the dancing baby, a picture of a fat kid at McDonald's, the original Cuppycake song, the Star Wars Kid, carved pencils, the Numa Numa kid, or any of this assorted collection of pictures older than the Internet. (of course, if any of these are new to you, let us be the first to say..."Welcome to the Intersphere")

Zoomquilt is a collaborative art project, completed in 2005, in which artists create a series of interlocking frame images (46 in total), to create a never-ending series of images when compiled in a programmed loop. Okay, that sounds more technical than it has to.

Basically, these images were designed so that the viewer will feel as if they are constantly zooming into a single picture. Usually, wiggly road-like lines are used to create the effect of connectedness. The viewer scrolls through the images by holding down his mouse button and moving the mouse forward or back. (we wouldn't be surprised if one or two users of LSD ended up in a psych ward thanks to these images)

This project was followed recently (2007) with the son of Zoomquilt, aptly named Zoomquilt 2. This project, though, is much longer (with 88 images) and more astounding. A new addition in SOZ (as we like to call it) is the ability to control the speed of zoom as well as move forward and backward with the use of slider.

To be honest, there is no way we can prepare you for how AWEsome the experience is. Just click the links and prepare to be amazed.

When Mom Washes Your Clothes...

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:07:00 +0000

It's always a good idea to be extra careful when mom washes your clothes for you. This, "hemphead" is lucky that his mother seems to be so forgiving (and instructive).

Let this be an example to potheads everywhere (who still live with their parents). Make sure you check your pockets before you throw those pants in the wash!

Eating (nearly) Live Octopus

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:42:00 +0000

This video recently surfaced from our Korea bureau. According to our "man on the street" these three Americans are enjoying live octopus "in a back alley Korean restaurant in Seoul." Yes, those sliced and diced octopus tentacles are squirming all over the place (and off the plate). Yes, Ben never answers the question "what's the verdict?". Yes, it is both disgusting and beautiful at the same time.

Would you have the guts to put that in your mouth?

If moving food is your thing, you may want to check out this short video of still-twitching fugu.

Fugu, by the way, is a Japanese dish prepared from the meat of pufferfish or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Because pufferfish is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.

Homemade Solar Heated Water

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Zen) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:52:00 +0000

Apparently, all it takes to make your own solar-powered water heater is a simple understanding of physics, a hearty appetite for beer, and a bunch of rubber tubing.

According to China Economy Network Ma Yanjun, of Qiqiao village, has created attached 66 beer bottles to a board which he then attached to his roof. As water flows through each bottle (they are daisy-chained together to ensure the water runs the complete circuit) it is continuously heated by the sun. Ma Yanjun claims to have designed the apparatus for his mother because he "wanted her to shower comfortably." (we won't go there)

Fortunately, his mom is not the only person benefiting from the hot water. Ma says it provides enough hot water for all three members of his family to have a shower every day.

Hopefully he figured out a way to monetize his genius (or awareness that water sticks to itself (cohesion) because it is polar and therefore has high adhesion properties.), though, as at more than ten of his neighbors have followed suit and built their own solar-powered water heaters.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? If they did, why didn't they get their name in the paper...and on The Buzzzzz?