@23
I understand you there, and it would be dumb to disagree with your point. I guess what I was trying to say earlier is that there are already laws on the books that make it okay to seize property used in the commission of a crime. There's no need for an entire bill to pass just to say "oh yeah, we mean pirating media, too."

It seems silly, and I bet the bill won't pass at all. It would be redundant to pass such a thing.

As it stands, I bet you're right - I bet most people with digital music archives have a pirated track or two mixed in there, to say the least. It's also illegal to not come to a complete stop at a stop sign, spit in public and park more than 18" from the curb. That doesn't mean we're all going to jail tomorrow for crappy parking and going "ptooey" when a bug flies into our faces. But it does mean each of us who is guilty of such infractions COULD be arrested for them. Such is the law, and so it is with hacking and pirating.

Maybe I'm just ignorant, but I thought there were already laws in place which would allow the authorities to confiscate your gear, if you're caught hacking. Seems like all they did, really, was just add "oh yeah, and stealing music" to that existing law.

What's more, I thought for sure that the RIAA was already seizing people's computers when they pressed charges. So I don't know if I really see anything changing with this little bill.

I also don't think your house is going to get seized because you have a comprehensive library of hair metal music on your computer. That just seems alarmist, to me. The computers and storage media could realistically go, but how is your place of residence even an issue in such a case? It isn't.

#6
Nail on the head, man. It's not an issue of wanting to subvert the industry's profits; it's an issue of their poor, unregulated service. If I pay good money for music (which, in some parts of the world, that would be considered madness anyway), I don't want to have to KEEP paying for it, just so I can get compatibility with all my devices.

Which is why I said the RIAA is just spewing their usual crazy, drug-fueled BS. Nobody is going to do business with DRM-infected providers, and the RIAA should already know that.

I notice the RIAA says a lot of stuff like this. It isn't really that DRM will be "coming back." It's just that the RIAA would LIKE to see it come back. Reality, meanwhile, trundles along its usual course, separate from the RIAA's wild proclamations.

@Historyman68

You're right, I shouldn't be so vitriolic. It started with annoyance at something that seems to make light of the terrible, often painful deaths animals suffer on the roadways. Then I tried to imagine what sort of person would willingly kick out the money required to own such a thing.

I still think Ben just wanted to use the word "misanthropic" in a sentence today. Judging from his comment history, we probably won't see him again until sometime in June, anyway, so whatever.

Yeah. Sorry I was a dick to you earlier. The net brings out the worst in many people, sometimes.

@Historyman68

If you're unsure of your goth status, then it may be more possible to consider the possibility that you may simply be stupid. I'm sorry it had to be me who finally aired this concern to you.

Squealy sarcasm aside, what's your point? Did you just want to fling a wee tantrum because I don't share your love of tacky plush toys? Because that's what it looks like.

The internet is so limiting, isn't it? If we could have this exchange face to face, I bet it would end with laughter. Or, more likely, it wouldn't get discussed at all, because we would then be two adults out in public instead of two usernames bickering on the damn internet about a stuffed animal.

Either way, you're wrong and I'm right, so nanny nanny boo boo.

Sorry for that long comment up there. Just one of those days.

Here's what I was thinking of! I've seen these for sale in stores around town. Seems like a more practical solution than the goofy thing Taisin is selling.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ICE-BALLS-FREEZE-WONT-DILUTE-DRINK-CUBE-CUBES-REUSABLE_W0QQitemZ300219985234QQcmdZViewItem

Hm. The little ice mold looks like a fun toy to have about, but it isn't worth the asking price of $1300 USD. From what I can see, it's just a basic brass mold turned on a metal lathe. How is a small, novel ice mold worth $1300 to anybody?

I could see paying maybe $50, just because there's a lot of heavy brass involved, but the lathe work isn't impressive enough to warrant the price. Make one out of cheap aluminum and you could probably drive the cost down even lower. In fact, I bet you could make a serviceable version of this out of terra cotta or molding plastic, and it could be done with pocket change. Beyond that, I'm almost certain I've seen mass-produced spherical ice trays for sale somewhere. It's surely out there already.

But then, this product isn't being marketed at practical people. It's being aimed at the kind of tedious dullards who honestly, in their heart of hearts, believe that $1300 ice trays make them superior.

These are the idiots we have acting as our "authorities" nowadays. That's reassuring, isn't it? They're so bored, and trying so hard to invent a threat to justify their jobs, that they're out chasing tourists who thought some boat in the northwest somewhere was kinda cool.

You realize we're on the edge of another McCarthyist era, right? We're not all butt-clenched over pinkos this time, but rather terrorists. The madness is the same, though. It's moronic.

@Ben

So you sit around thinking about that, huh?

I bet he's screaming because those little shorts fit really tight.

Seriously though, I agree with Mark on this. Stuff like that magazine cover is quite surreal. Artifacts from the marketing industry's culture, I guess. Surreal and disquieting.

Oh, ha ha, yes, I see now. It's amusing because of the contrast between the cute plushie style and the gruesome subject matter. How clever and irreverent of them.

When I first looked at this, my initial reaction was that it's just a prop for fat goth kids to carry around in an effort to appear spooky. On the other hand, I could also see some sweet-milk-and-white-bread sorority girl having one in her room, because it's part of how she defines her "bad girl" image while attending school, as paid for by her parents back in Utah or somewhere like that.

In other words, I just thought it was another stupid waste of money for stupid people to buy and display to even dumber people solely to beat the dead horse of shock entertainment. But yes, now I see otherwise. Certainly. I'm sure the people who make these things are quite bright, artistic and philosophical types.

I would be more inclined to say Charlie is just a rambling fruitcake. Even if he is sending out codes and so on, I doubt it would be anything too earth-shattering. He is, after all, a wild-eyed cult leader whose last experiences in the free world involved killing as many people as possible.

Who would actually WANT to see some long-dead rocker going at it with two skanks? You'd have to be one hell of a creepy Hendrix fan.

I wouldn't say the letters were "mean," but they did disregard the recipient's humanity. Of course, their humanity is debatable, so that brings us back to the original moral dilemma.

Make up your own mind about it.

@5
{incredulous look} MORE?! ;O

You have to watch out for those B.L.F. people. They can infiltrate a good work house in no time.

The mark of a good blogger is they don't flinch when the admins show up with the fleam and stick. B.L.F. spies will squirm, you see, because they still have their spirit. The spies also don't know to type on beat with the dirge drummer/moderator.

Not that I know anything about blogging. I just read about it somewhere.

That movie looks delightfully terrible. Jenna Jameson AND Robert Englund in the same movie? Yeah, I'll have to see that one.

Is this an offhand cry for help, Xeni? Should we send the Blogger Liberation Front to find you?

@51
How did W.S. Burroughs put it?
"Every soul is worth saving, but not every soul is worth buying."

That's not an insult, though. If anything, it might be proof positive you're going to Heaven.

Awesome. I adore old stuff like this, with its shining optimism for a "Jetsons" -like future.

Then, media like this can be counter-balanced with the macabre artifacts of the bomb culture from the same era. Burt the Turtle ducked for cover while CD proudly showed us how to build ineffective shelters.

I still have recordings somewhere around here of an old V-8 -powered raid siren, wailing from several miles away in the desert, so ghostly and terrible. Just far enough away that someone in the 60's would've felt their stomach sink with dread before the terrible flash came.

Optimistic futurism tempered in Cold War paranoia. It was such a weird time, I can't help but be fascinated by it.

And uh, sorry to gush here. Insomnia must be getting to me.

What a beautifully Zen project to undertake.

Unfortunately, at the time of my writing this comment, the link is dead. I'll remember to look for more info on this tomorrow, though. Thanks :)

That doesn't even make sense. The government and the laws they enact are owned by the public. You can't copyright what is already, by default, public property.

I'm sure we could sit here and dissect the issue, statute by statute, until we're all sick of yapping on the internet, but the fact remains that this absolutely absurd.

Let them press charges, or do whatever. It'll just be a waste of taxpayers' money and contribute nothing but more reasons to vote the morons out of office.

Oh great, now the faithful and the atheists can bicker over who gets to stab Buddy66 first. ;)

I found Dery's commentary tedious and boorish. He has no concept of common courtesy, and it shows in the way he parses his argument.

Instead of discussing the Christian poseur's poinephobia, he instead insults the entire faith by refering to the "Disapproving Daddy in the Sky." This is one of those little insults that seems to exist solely online, where there are no serious consequences. For a man in Dery's position to write like this is disappointing. Such language has destroyed any credibility he might have had.

Personally, I couldn't care less who or what you believe in. It's not worth arguing over, because there's no resolution to the argument. Either you have the desire and the drive to study this subject on your own and enlighten yourself, or you don't. There is no room for bickering, at least not logically.

Poor Laika. I still can't hear or read the story of that dog without it bothering me a bit much. That's nice they would honor her memory in this way, though it was a profoundly sad way for her to die at the time.

I agree, the roses' presence speaks to a fine quality in the people who have seen the memorial.

Oh, but they're not racist! They're "xenophobic." Right. Okay.

@87 Takuan

I've been eating party mix. Everybody likes party mix, right? So don't be fretful! There's enough for... *hurk* enough for everyone! *hurk hurk* C'mere...

Despite having read this somewhere before, it's still funny. It wouldn't be surprising if it actually happened, or at least was based in reality.

To everyone who logs on solely to complain or be otherwise obnoxious:

Being fussy without making an actual contribution is something babies do. Think of a nest of baby birds, screaming like mad for the parents to feed them. They spend their infancy split between sleeping and complaining.

What do you whiners do with your life? Wake up, get online and complain awhile? Find something constructive to do; don't sit back and fuss like a baby, because you're not being entertained sufficiently by a COMPLETELY FREE WEBSITE.

Even with $7000, I imagine you'd be hard-pressed to build a useful humanoid robot. I'm thinking this was either a concept piece or an outright hoax.

On the other hand, over at Instructables, they had a contest to see who could build the coolest robot, using an iRobot device as the base. There were some awfully cool ideas in the bunch, including some household servant bots.

An example:
http://www.instructables.com/id/iRobot-Create-Personal-Home-Robot/

Still not humanoid, though.

@24
I don't know if I'd call it a "wank-fest," but it probably will be in keeping with the usual superhero motif; regular guy with a dark side and all becomes some kind of salvation or other.

But that's what most people expect from a movie based on an archaic superhero comic; lots of action, and a storyline the audience can keep up with without having to think too hard about it.

Besides, how are you going to work greater depth into a movie about a comic hero who wears a suit of armor and has freakin' JETS sticking out of his feet and shoots rockets from his arms? Not a lot of room for subtlety and grace, there.

It's fluff, intellectually. But that's fine, because that's all it's supposed to be. I look forward to seeing it, just because I loved the Iron Man concept as a kid.

Now, if they made a movie about an honest-to-god Golem, that would be very interesting...

Interesting stuff!
Though, in keeping with the thread so far...

I always read or hear the word "coprolites" and imagine them being some rank of soldier similar to hoplites.

"Sir! We have bested the hoplites!"
"Indeed, Publius! But yet we must face our worst foes yet - the coprolites!"
*gasp* "Sir! Let us rally the troops at once!"

@8 Hounskull
I like the reference you make to the Jewish golems; I was thinking something similar in comparison to the Iron Man concept. In general, Iron Man does seem more golem than mortal; an idealized concept like Beowulf the hero.

As far as Sabbath vs. the comics, I noticed a parity, but it was never a very meaningful one. Now that the previews feature Sabbath's "Iron Man," however, it sort of retcons the song to fit with the Iron Man concept - or makes an artful allusion from comic hero to Black Sabbath dystopia.

Either way, I enjoyed your article, Mark.

@Teresa

You have a lot more patience and dedication to this site's forums than I would, were I in your shoes.

I had the word "cryptoracists" stuck in my head for about a solid day after my previous engagement in this thread. It's just a fun word to say, and I imagine an entire, absurd culture attached to the word.

Anthropologists might discover one of their long-forgotten temples in some wild, Scandinavian place, and spend years decoding their crabby little runic glyphs. Finally, one breathless afternoon, a red-eyed researcher bursts from his chambers. "Eureka! I've decoded their messages!"

"What do they say?" the people would ask. In the hush that follows, the researcher would psychologically hit that brick wall of underwhelming reality as he flatly recites from the paper, "Honkys rule, n*gg*rs drool."

The moment that follows this announcement would be the epitome of the phrase, "awkward silence." He might then point at the paper and softly say, "That... that's what it says." Then return quietly to his chambers.

Damn those cryptoracists!

"Wrenching" is a good word for it. The movement over that one border, captured on film and in writing, is very powerful. This was also a dignified way of presenting these people in their final hours.

I shall buzz-in and reply, "What is porn star sumo wrestling?"

Those things are a little stomach-turning, but it would still be fun to make one for a party sometime. Maybe a birthday cake for a particularly sardonic friend...

@29 Clifford

Sorry, poor choice of words. I couldn't think of the right way to describe the lid structure common to many east asian eyes. "Slanted" does sound a bit rude, but it's a result of a void in my vocabulary, not of any bigotry.

Actually, I didn't know until reading this thread now that the structure I'm thinking of is called an "epicanthic fold." Thanks, Boing Boing!

@Houndskull

Yes, I do see what they're selling. But none of it really qualifies as abjectly racist. It is a product line catering to the sort of subculture that tattoos its arms, wears lots of pointy, silver jewelry and throws the horns up anytime something good happens.

But hey, if you can see all kinds of wild conspiracies in everything around you, that's your business. Ultimately, your paranoia doesn't affect me one way or the other.

I think I'd rather just have slanted or almond-shaped eyes than glue my eyelids to my forehead.

Besides, the east asian eye shape is exotic and appealing to me. Consider the actress, Lucy Liu. She's a good example. Could you imagine her gluing her eyelids up?

Okay, I made myself laugh. I'll be quiet now.

Hounskull, the site is selling horror-oriented and metal-oriented stuff. A few old Nordic symbols doesn't make it the next chapter of the KKK.

If that were true, then Buddhists would have to answer for their use of the Swastika as well, don't you agree?

It's just another "eclectic" clothing and accessory shop. There aren't any super secret squirrel codes to unlock the sooper-dooper pro-whitey agenda.

Just don't ask where they get the Mugwump fluid.

From what I know of Anonymous, they aren't really of the mindset to do things like this. They seem to be mostly a bunch from the 18-35 demographic with an intense dislike of the Church of Scientology.

If they were to hack anyone, my guess would be they'd hit the Scientologists. Attacking a bunch of epileptics doesn't even make sense. All it takes is going to 4chan and looking at /b/ to see what they're all talking about. It's not like they're the most secretive group of people.

Some people suspect Church members of launching the attack with the intent of blaming Anonymous. While it's impossible to say for sure, as I write this, I would offer that this is a distinct possibility.

I think it looks banal, tacky, shallow and designed for profit, most likely aimed at the young and inexperienced. I can't even muster the energy to really feel insulted by it. It's too stupid.

It'll likely be a hit with the emo and goth kids.

I do remember the OS-tans from awhile back, but had no idea about this other series of cartoons. Thanks for the link, Kid; when I went to the original site, it was still down.

Those of you whining about how old this is ought to keep in mind that a lot of people, like me, have other stuff to do than keep up with crap on the web. This cartoon was new to me and was a fun way to pass a little time. So get over yourselves, already.

@2
Your skepticism is understandable and indeed appreciable. But wouldn't you agree that, even if this is a failure unto itself, it is at least a minor step of progress? After all, the automobile and the airplane weren't invented in one go.

I rather think these new buggies look pretty good, even if there is room for improvement. At least they're trying, right?

Sweet. I love steampunk stuff.

Welcome, Ms. Milstein. While I'm just another of the peanut gallery, I would imagine the folks who run BB are very happy to have you. Your past experience is pretty impressive. Good luck to you. :)

The elephant probably understands that she is painting an elephant with a flower in its trunk, even if she doesn't yet know how to draw other things.

It's like kids learning to draw cartoons by reading a step-by-step guide somewhere. The elephant eventually got to where she could draw this one thing from memory, without guidance. If your four or five year old followed a guide and figured out how to draw, say, a duck, would you think, "oh, that's nice, but the kid wasn't thinking; just imitating?"

I'd say the elephant's effort is pretty good, even if it doesn't have all the richness that a spontaneous representational painting would have.

It's always so alien to hear or see things from those days.

Not to detract from the link, but if you want to see more stuff from the Cold War bomb culture days, www.conelrad.com is a good resource.

@14
ws jkng, bt th ntrnt trg mchn s lwys rdy t pnt trmblng fngr t smthng nd dclr t hrsy. :)

@Tpnk

'm gssng y thnk bnch f ppl blstng wy t ch thr md th rbbl f thr hms s prfctly sn wy t lv, rght?

Thn gss l' Fthd p thr blbbrng bt hs flt-rth pphns s ls prfctly ccptbl nd prbbly dsrvng f Nbl, n yr wrld.

thnk cn - smhw - cp wth yr dsgst.

@166
blv th phrs s mr cmmnly rndrd s, "nnny-nnny b-b." Tht bsnss bt nnnr g snds lk t cld b smthng nsvry.

"Fdhl" mst b rq fr "fthd."

Hr ws, jst wtchng th nghtly nws nd sng ll th ftg f wld-yd rqs rnnng n ll drctns, frng mchn gns n sld strms ntl th mgs r mpty nd scrmng lk pnckd chckns.

Nw s vn thr "scntsts" r brkng md. t's ll jst t mch. Hw d thy vn fgr t whch hl t fd nd whch t wp, ch dy?

You'd think those people were still living in the Dark Ages, trading in humans as if they were dealing in livestock.

The article says the authorities hope to catch the mobsters who sold the family, but it seems like every time I read about that sort of thing, the investigations fizzle out.

How do you suppose it can be that me - a regular working stiff - could theoretically go buy a human slave relatively easily, yet the authorities native to those regions are mystified as to who could possibly be behind this?

I hate to be Captain Outrage over here, but it really is disgusting. Thank goodness I live in a place where slavery isn't a concern.

@28
I remember the first board I modded on was on the old TinyFugue system, running off the server at Georgia Tech. That server was later bought by MindSpring, who then became Earthlink.

I know they still have Itchy and Scratchy (I used to ATDT via those servers), but I can't remember the name of what used to be the GT server. Since those days, I've modded a little here and there, so I think I have some experience at this, as you do.

All I can tell you is, if you don't like the message board feature of this website, you don't have to interact with it. Telling everybody else they're wrong because they don't do things your way can make you seem very controlling. Tattling to Cory Doctorow, as you said you did, also isn't very becoming. You aren't the moderator here, so it may make you happier to stop trying to fill that role.

Don't get me wrong - I like the idea of talking to other old hands on the net. I'm just saying if it bothers you that much, avoid it. It's just a website.

@Anthony

Yeah, it's actually on the edge of Decatur and unincorporated Scottdale, on the east side of town. I love that place.

If you get a chance, try eating at the little restaurant in there. All kinds of great food from the various vendors in the building, and the prices are quite reasonable.

I agree, slat mills are great for confined homes or for inclement weather. But because of the dog fighters' insistence on doing what they do, most people reflexively associate these machines with sinister situations.

It does seem like a good idea to track purchases and ownership of these devices similar to guns or autos, simply to discourage the dog fighters even further.

I'm sure it was interesting in a way, but I'd hardly call it fine dining. I'd much rather just buy my components at the grocery store and put something good together. At least then, I can be reasonably sure my food isn't mostly made of pressed gelatin and chemicals like the junk at the dollar store.

Better still are farmer's markets. We have a huge one here in my part of Atlanta, where you can find just about anything you want from all over the world, as fresh as possible.

I dunno about this guy, but I do remember some years ago, when the Vacanti brothers were doing similar things. I seem to remember them growing a sheep's heart using the then-newly-discovered stem cells. The old photo we know of the rat with the ear on his back also came from the Vacantis.

The technology has been improving for awhile, so I do hope it becomes reliable enough for the masses, soon.

Y'know, I needed to see that little video today. I know old Jack was considered a little cheesy by some people, but his message is spot-on, and still relevant to us today.

People need to stop measuring their self-worth in bank statements and start living.

Most advertising seems very weird when you don't understand the language or aren't familiar with the culture.

I used to think French advertising was so risqué until I realized that it wasn't French perversion so much as it was my conservative American upbringing.

And of course, different responses to different countries' ads. But you know what I mean.

I hope his family feels like utter scum now, for pushing him until he felt like death was the only option.

Of course, knowing how some people are, the family is probably very proud of themselves and looking forward to ransacking the dead man's house.

Kinda funny, but it seems a little uninspired. He just set up an old computer gag, then framed it in an avante-garde context to hopefully make money off of it.

@2
Yep, Vangelis did both soundtracks. Nice catch! I thought it sounded familiar, but couldn't place it.

As for the US dollar, the signs of impending recession have been there for years. I think we all know it's just a matter of time before we hit a crunch comparable to the gas crunch of the late 70's.

Therein lies the novelty of such a person! Judaism prohibits tattooing, yet the only way he could present his level of hardcore-ness to the world would be via neck tattoos. Such a person would likely be stupid enough to decide this issue with a coin flip.

Either way, I didn't mean to insult Judaism with my little joke. But the guy's tats really did look like little religious symbols. The incongruity of it is what made me ask about them to begin with.

I appreciate it when someone takes the time to have anything above their collar tattooed. It lets me know immediately and conveniently that the person isn't worth my consideration or respect.

Just the other day, I met a white guy with a shaved head and neck tattoos (among others). The tattoos themselves looked like little Star of David symbols. Upon closer inspection, however, I saw they were merely gang symbols (Bloods, I think? I can't remember). They were apparently memorials to fallen comrades. The idiot also lifted his sleeves to proudly show off more similarly-themed tattoos on his arms and collarbone region.

I wonder how many times a day people see that idiot's neck tattoos and wonder if he's a really, really hardcore Jew.

I still kinda like the original, just because of the now-odd cultural reference.

Levi's were originally made of heavy canvas from Nim, France and marketed directly at the hard-working American farmers, cowboys and muleskinners of the time, who needed very sturdy clothing. Hence the original logo, in which the men could be interpreted as farm workers or muleskinners.

Hanging a carrot over the horses' heads is funny and whimsical, but it seems weirdly cartoonish when compared to the meaning of the original.

Sorry to get all windy and pedantic; it's late, I'm tired.

Hilarious!

I love Clapton's facial expressions, and how energetic the drummer looks. Such incompetence, mixed with that "hell yeah" attitude. Hehehee

It is difficult to not be infuriated at th prnng rrgnc f th flthy Communist scm. They think the whole world should be a scowling, gray prison with no religious or philosophical freedom at all.

I hope Communism in China is crushed into oblivion during my lifetime. That would be such a wonderful thing to see.

I was not previously aware of Xeni's cuteness. This is a pleasant surprise, for me. Not like it matters, in the end, but still. Wow.

Ww. Lks lk Bng Bng s ttrctng ll th dllrds frm Dgg nd Rddt.

Yr knd cn b spttd mmdtly, bcs y mk chldsh cmmnts, ftn syng thngs drctly cntrry t th fcts prsntd n th rtcl. Ths btrys yr hbt f nvr rdng nythng lnkd.

S hr's lttl hlp. Th thng s 4' tll (tht's bt 1.2m) nd wghs 300 lbs (136kg). Thr s n cslly shvng th rbt vr, s th hgh schl kds hv sggstd. Fr cmprsn, try wlkng p t brck mlbx nd shvng t vr.

Fnlly, scrw y lttl whtbrd sbrbnt twts nd yr cmpssn fr th hmlss, th pshrs nd ll f scty's scm. Y dn't vn knw wh t s y'r tryng t dfnd; y'r stndng p fr crctr, bcs y'r t shltrd t knw wht rl hmlss ppl, drg dlrs, hkrs nd s n r lk.

Wht ths gy s dng wth th rbt snds prtty gd, t m. nythng t gt th dmnd lsrs t f th nghbrhd s gd thng. hp h vntlly rns vry slmbll t f thr wth tht glrfd sqrt gn h hs. Gd n hm.

h, nd fr th rcrd, y dts, sd t b hmlss. t ddn't tk ny lck nd t ddn't tk ny cmpssn frm thrs fr m t pt my lf tgthr. t tk m fndng jb, jst lk nybdy ls.

@#13
Well, I know this site has a little something for everybody, so it's hardly worth getting too upset over. But if it came to fisticuffs, I'd like to see them face my ARMY OF WAR-CLANKS! ARRR!

*ahem* I mean... if some people like this table, then it's certainly none of my business.

Minimalist furniture always appears lifeless and institutional. Why would you want to surround yourself in such dead, uninspired furniture? Why would you want to feel more like an inmate than a resident in your own home?

This table design is interesting, but I would never have such a clunky thing. The hard lines and angles are jarring, as opposed to the warm appearance and pleasing stability of traditional wooden furniture.

@#10 - ZARDOZ... SPEAKS TO YOU... HIS CHOSEN ONES.

But seriously, when I first read about this, I was a little skeptical. After all, what sort of questions could far-flung villagers possibly think to ask? And how would the tech on the other end know how to translate the local lingo into accessible queries? After all, it would take a long time to get an answer if your question was something like, "Can you tell me a better way to fish?"

But the skepticism is misplaced. After all, we all went through a learning curve when first getting acquainted with the net. Who's to say these villagers can't learn how to ask the right questions, too? Eventually, it may lead to learning new ways to live and introducing internet access to their area, modernizing and improving.

The rant is funny simply for way it's presented, but I do hope it's just done as a bit of satire.

It always surprises me a little to encounter people who really are that furious at such innocuous parts of our everyday world. As was said above, if you don't like the Pepsi, don't drink it. It's just a soda, after all.

Personally, I rather like the taste of Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda instead of Nutrasweet. Coke Zero is also tasty in a somewhat odd way.

If it is a character, then he's doing pretty well with it. But if that's really how the guy acts, then it's a pity nobody's ever had the patience to explain what he's doing wrong.

The only reason I'm waffling is because I know a guy from Alabama who is the American version of this guy, and he's not acting.

Smokers account for about 25% of the US population today, according to Gallup's Consumption Habits poll.

Sitting back on your sheltered laurels and telling me how stupid smokers are is irrelevant. If you ran a bar and had one iota of business acumen, you would want to find ways to welcome smokers. In a business context, this was a smart way around the laws.

It may also help to remember that this country was built on individual freedom, including the choice to smoke or not. It doesn't matter what the risks are - it's still a personal choice. Trying to force the population to live as YOU see fit is the fastest way to ruin a society. Look at every communist society for reference on that.

I don't smoke, but I firmly believe it should be up to business proprietors whether or not they do business with smokers. Good on them for finding a way to subvert this idiotic ban.

Glad I'm not the only one who got a little mushy over that. The lady with the corsage also got to me most, probably because she kinda looks like an older version of my mother.

The whole thing was good, though. Whether they showed it outwardly or not, balloon hats and such are always fun. I'm sure they all enjoyed it.