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Polygamy is Illegal
2008-04-15 17:33:00
It's good to remember this one simple fact: Polygamy is illegal, and rightfully so.  There has been a lot of talk recently about the government overstepping its bounds in the recent invasion of the FLDS compound in Texas.  But the fact of the matter is, they did this without violence, and got a lot little girls out of harms way. Polygamy isn't the only crime being committed by the Fundamentalist Church of Latterday Saints--the extremist offshoot of the Mormon Church, which has compounds in the US, Canada, and Mexico.  There is also rape, molestation, and other sexual abuse crimes to consider, including incest.  Most of these crimes are against young girls, who are raised to procreate.  Basically, under the guise of religion, a bunch of old men have been allowed to carry out their perverted sexual fantasies without much government prevention.  Here in Arizona we have the largest, and the original, FLDS settlement--Colorado City.  The leader, Warr...
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Absolut Idiocy
2008-04-15 16:35:00
I'm not so thin-skinned that I don't get the irony here--that I don't understand the appeal that Absolut is trying to bring to Mexican consumers.  After all, most Mexicans drink Tequila right?  I mean, since Trotsky there haven't been too many other Vodka drinkers down there.  But this is still a pretty insulting image to me.  The first thing I think of when I see it is not a "perfect world" as the ad men at Absolut were intending.  I see California, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and some other US land all suddenly cast into Mexican poverty, under the corrupt reigns of a corrupt quasi-Republic State.  The Mexican government has done more to harm its people than anyone here in the States. It's time the protesters stopped protesting U.S. policy (which I'm not a fan of) and started marching in the streets against the Mexican government.  Real reform could bring prosperity to Mexico.  It is rich in re...
More About: Idiocy

Libertarian Defense Caucus
2008-04-14 23:02:00
The LDC is expanding, getting a new site which is still under construction (after which I will link to it) and reorganizing itself--we are planning on more closely aligning with the Neolibertarians who share many, if not all, of the same core principles with the LDC. I've accepted a vice-chairmanship in the Caucus , so that's exciting.  My first move? I'm thinking about starting a petition here in Arizona to re-instate smoking bars. And no, I don't smoke.  I just find the ban on smoking in bars to be totally insane, a major infringement on our rights as Americans (after all cigarettes aren't illegal, are they?) and a horrible use of legislation that cannot possibly withstand constitutional scrutiny. That's libertarian without the "defense" part.  I'm just going to keep writing and reading and try to keep warning the world about the very real danger of militant Islam.  That's the best I feel I can do for the cause right now. Keep your voice h...
More About: Defense , Libertarian

Clinton Drinks a Beer
2008-04-14 22:52:00
I feel like I can finally relate to Hillary Clinton .  That's exactly how I look when I'm about to knock back a cold one.  Lord knows she could use it, too.  See that wild gleam in her eye? That's desperation.  Poor lady.  She's all but lost completely to her younger, more liberal, more charming, sophistocrat opponent. Which is fine.  I'm voting, not terribly happily, for McCain.  I like him fine, but like I said before, he's too old.  Still, I think he's the right choice for our defense, and for our foreign affairs.  I especially like his "League of Democracies" idea.  But will he toss out the UN? If only.... Now where was that beer???     Technorati Tags: clinton,obama,mccain,campaign 2008
More About: Drinks , Beer

I Miss Giuliani
2008-04-14 18:12:00
As much as I hope McCain prevails over either of the Democratic candidates, I have to say, he's no Rudy.  Besides that, he's a bit old.  Deep down, I'm a little concerned over his longevity. Still, I do like the people surrounding him.  I think former Democratic Senator, and neo-independent Joseph Lieberman would make an excellent Secretary of State.  Giuliani would be very good in the role of Attorney General. My one true remaining fear is that McCain picks the populist, Baptist minister Huckabee as his running mate.  This would assure his defeat, as he would lose all independent appeal.  Someone like Romney would be a much safer bet. I miss the idea of Giuliani as President.  He ran a good campaign--too clean, in many senses.  Hopefully he will be a major part of the next administration...   Technorati Tags: mccain,lieberman,giuliani,huckabee,GOP,re publicans,campaign 2008
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All Quiet on the Eastern Front
2008-04-14 18:08:00
The Arab Press and pro-Arab and Islamic bloggers and members of sites such as Newsvine are constantly up in arms over the supposed war crimes the Israeli government is perpetrating against the Palestinian people. Prior to Israel conquering the territories of the West Bank, which was annexed initially by Jordan, and Gaza, which was Palestinian only insomuch as it was a part of Egypt, the conflict in the Middle-East was referred to as the Arab/Israeli conflict. It has now become the Palestinian/Israeli conflict--a convenient change of term for Arab propaganda, as it is much easier to define the Palestinians as the victim or minority than it was previously to define the Arabs in that fashion. The irony is that the conflict is still an Arab/Israeli conflict, and by no means a Palestinian/Israeli conflict. The Palestinians, much to their misfortune, are little more than puppets in this sad game, used by the hostile Arab states in their proxy war against Israel. Bias and Propaganda I...
More About: Front , Eastern , Quiet

The Desert Bloom - An Insult to Human Dignity?
2008-04-10 17:33:00
~from Churchill's Parrot Reflecting upon the events of Islamo-Fascist Awareness Week, we felt compelled to once again examine the alleged source of all the chanting, frothing, eye-bulging, beheading, suicide-bomb vest-donning, IED-planting, plane-crashing, WMD-seeking passion that is Islamania: the existence of Israel. At a recent Al Quds Day Celebration (October 5 if you missed it), the “It Girl” of contemporary fascism – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – declared, “The creation of the Zionist Regime and the continuation of its existence are an insult to human dignity.” This is a most telling declaration on the part of Mr. Ahmadinejad (although it tends to get far fewer laughs than, “There are no homosexuals in Iran.”) Therefore, let us now disassemble Mr. Ahmadinejad’s statement into two parts and analyze them separately. Then, employing Aristotle’s method of deductive reasoning, we shall reassemble them as the...
More About: Human , Desert , Bloom , Dignity , Insult

Hitler's Heirs
2008-04-03 21:42:00
Hizbullah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, speaking via satellite to a crowd gathered in Beirut asked an interesting question (and provided an even more interesting answer): Can Israel disappear? A thousand times, yes. Now, it's true that the Jewish people have been cast from their homeland a few times, so perhaps the seeming discrepancy in Nasrallah's logic isn't so off-kilter after all.  A thousand times, though? The content of his speech, however, remains disgusting and fanatical no matter how you look at it.  Nasrallah has shown himself to be little more than Iranian President Ahmadinejad's mouthpiece and finger-puppet. The two men certainly have their similarities.  Nasrallah has said of the Jewish people: If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.  (Daily Star, Oct. 23, 2002) and If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideol...

I want a G5 iMac
2008-04-02 23:35:00
Will somebody buy me an iMac?  I'd be happy with a G5.  I don't need Intel chips, as much as I like them. I don't need dual-core, as much as I like it, or Windows even though I like the games. I just don't want a tower anymore, but I use my Desktop to watch movies and shows, since I don't have a TV.  A 17" laptop is just not big enough to watch shows on from my couch. So, yeah, if anyone wants to send me their old G5 iMac, I'd really appreciate it.  Send it collect, cause I wouldn't want you to pay for the shipping, especially since you're giving me your Apple. Thanks, Me

Newsvine is Killing Me
2008-04-02 05:58:00
You have got to watch out for Newsvine , especially if you don't want to get stuck in endless, unending, self-perpetuating, infinite cycles of debate over the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. If you're not in it for the debates, then you'll be fine.  Post cute articles about swans and penguins stealing hotdogs from milkmen. Otherwise you're in trouble....
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Blendwire has Moved
2008-02-13 19:31:00
Visit the Blendwire at its new location! This is an online magazine focusing on technology, science, humor, and product reviews. This site approaches technology and the industry with a sense of humor and irony. For all the best, quirky insights into the wonderful world of Technology, Fantasy, and other geeky stuff, visit The Blendwire.NeoConstant This site is an online Citizen Think Tank, dedicated to the open discussion of foreign policy, terrorism and the threat of radicalism to the West, and domestic policy. Articles from around the web are syndicated here, and members can submit articles or choose to join the forum and discuss current events.The Daily Elephant This is the official blog of NeoConstant. Featured here are posts about everything from the campaign to insurgent activity in Pakistan. There is always a good deal of healthy discussion at The Daily Elephant. As a Conservative blog, this one tries to be open-minded, friendly, and anti-pundit. Some views may be...

Google Middle-Earth (from Meander.in.Orange Blog)
2008-01-09 15:32:00
Google announced plans today to launch its latest application: Google Middle -Earth . A spokesperson told excited investors that it had "plans in the works with major Satellite companies" to start acquiring live Satellite feeds of all the major regions of Middle-Earth. "We haven't got an exact date for Beta release," the spokesperson said, "But it will most likely be late 2008." Satellite images of The Shire and Lothlorien have already been gathered, but other regions, such as Mordor have proved more troublesome. "We've learned a lot about Satellite imagery trying to get shots of Mordor," John Hackersmith of Fantasy Satellites Corp. said. "We find that the Eye causes a great deal of interference, not to mention the Nazgul." When asked how they felt about the new Google application, some residents of Middle-Earth expressed doubts about their privacy. "I for one already feel like I'm being watched," Frodo Baggins of The Shire said in an interview with the Associated Press. "This jus...
More About: Google , Blog , Orange

Google Pack
2008-01-08 03:48:00
Get Star Office FREE with Google Pack . Sun Solaris sells this software for $70.00! It's a pretty amazing deal, really. The rest of the software ain't bad either, but Star Office alone makes it well worth it. It's definitely a contender for the Microsoft Office crown!src="http://pagead2.googlesyndicati on.com/pagead/show_ads.js">

Bluehost
2008-01-06 05:56:00
Bluehost has some really amazing prices. They consistently get ranked as one of the best web-hosting companies, and you get completely outrageous bandwidth and storage with their really, really cheap service.The downtime is also fantastic, being really pretty much non-existent.Check them out at the link above. This is truly the best web-hosting deal on the net right now.Here's just some of the stuff you get when you sign up...Free Domain NameSite Promotion PackageFree eCommerce/CartFree Blog, Forum, BoardTop Notch 24/7 Support$50 Free Yahoo Credits$50 Free Google Credits This is by far the best deal I've found on the net, but if someone knows of something better, please post a comment. If someone has dirt on Bluehost, post as well! Thanks!

New York teen sues record Industry
2008-01-02 19:20:00
A New York teen, dubbed a pirate by the Record Industry , is counter suing them for defamation, violating anti-trust laws, conspiring to defraud the courts and making extortionate threats.read more | digg story
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The New Digg
2008-01-02 19:06:00
Is Digg getting too big for its own shoes? Not necessarily. Other sites like Reddit follow basically the same principle, and there doesn't seem to be any drift away from this model.But then again, will this broad news 2.o model evolve into something more niche-based? Will Digg be replaced by a host of more focused sites? One site devoted completely to "digging" about video games, another geared solely at "digging" about Linux & Open-Source?Digg has revolutionized how news is spread across the web, but as it gets bigger maybe it will become too vast for its own good. I think there's room for a whole array of niche-sites. The more focused our searching can become, the better.So keep digging. Digg this story. Let us know what you think...is Digg still the next big thing, or did its footprint just get too big?

3D Realms Use BitTorrent to Promote Duke Nukem Forever
2008-01-02 18:53:00
I'm excited about Duke Nukem, so this article from Digg.com is interesting to me. If you've been waiting for ages to play the new Duke Nukem Forever game (which looks amazing, by the way!) then check it out."The PC game ‘Duke Nukem Forever’ has been in production for 10 years so one way or another, it must’ve cost the developers a small fortune. However, as 3D Realms have decided to release their latest teaser on BitTorrent, distribution of their advertising content by this method will be reduced to zero. Groovy."read more | digg story
More About: Promote , Bittorrent

The Flexibility of Open Source
2008-01-02 17:21:00
One of the things that has been a strong point of Open Source Software (OSS) for years, even if it hasn't been held at the forefront of the battle, is the flexibility that OSS offers.read more | digg story
More About: Open-Source , Flexibility

Snapshots Blurb
2008-01-02 16:12:00
Introducing Snap Shots from Snap.com I just installed a nice little tool on this site called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more. Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not. Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.
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Best Technology of 2007
2008-01-02 04:20:00
2007 was a great year for technology. Suddenly touch screen phones became hip. The iPhone, the Voyager--finally American phones are getting sleeker, sexier, and more functional. Google announced its Android project, which will hopefully make 2008 the year of cool cell phone software, in a similar way that 2007 was the year of cool cell phone hardware.Age of Conan (2008)And then there was the emergence of a whole host of dx10 PC games, such as Crysis, Bioshock, and World in Conflict. These are all good signs for the gaming world. Dx10 is still in its infancy, and yet already we're seeing games that easily rival the best console offerings. Now we just have to wait for Bethesda's Fallout 3, and the upcoming Age of Conan MMORPG, not to mention the distant but fantastic-looking Borderlands.Ubuntu Linux released its latest incarnation, Gutsy Gibbon, to much fanfare, incorporating the all new Compiz Fusion windows management suite. This is the offspring of Beryl and Compiz, and do...
More About: Technology

XO Laptop
2007-12-30 05:39:00
Well, I finally got my hands on an XO laptop. The first thing I noticed was its surprising size. It's much smaller than I thought it would be. The GUI is very unusual, as well. It's Linux based, but resembles no desktop you've ever seen. Unlike KDE and Gnome, the XO eschews any semblance of a Windows-based system, and adopts a much more circular, child-like design.It comes equipped with a number of useful applications--there's a word processor, a video/pic camera with recording software, audio software, a python script editor, the terminal (of course) and many others. It runs on an AMD processor clocked at 366mhz and 128mb of RAM. The storage is 512mb of flash memory, which isn't much, but it is pretty quick. I was surprised at the overall agility of the laptop, given that its specs are fairly low.I'll post more later as I play with it more, but I have to say it is a pretty cool machine. It looks like an alien toy, and I'm glad that kids all over the world will be ab...
More About: Laptop

Crysis vs. Bioshock
2007-12-28 05:56:00
Dear readers, know this:Little can express the sheer joy of mowing down palm trees with an automatic rifle. It is an experience unlike any other. And thanks to Crysis , you too can experience it, can feel the rush one can only feel while slicing the top off a sixty foot palm with an assault rifle. The sheer detail that the team at Crytek put into each palm leaf is amazing. The fact that anywhere you shoot on the tree will be its breaking point is purely unbelievable.And that's just the palm trees.With 4GB's of RAM, a 2.7ghz Core 2 Duo, and an eVGA 8800GTS, Crysis runs quite smoothly, even at 1680 x 1050 resolution. Performance drops markedly when anti-aliasing is enabled, but in all honesty, why even bother? Like Oblivion, which is also lush in detail, the quality of the graphics does not depend on anti-aliasing. The rendering is smooth even without it. The level of detail in Oblivion, however, suddenly seems quite sparse compared to the lush, dense jungles of Crysis.Unlike...
More About: BioShock

Privacy: You Pay for What You Get
2007-12-27 20:35:00
I think the big fuss over Facebook's new, more invasive advertising program, Beacon, is ridiculous. So they want to target people based on their purchasing history. Well, it's their site. You don't have to be a part of it. You're going to be advertised to no matter what, though, so you might as well get targeted ads, right? If I'm on a social site and I list all my likes and dislikes, and I make purchases of one sort or another, I'd rather have those sorts of things advertised when I visit my profile. If I buy lots of computer junk and games and such, and I list my likes as computer junk and games and such, and then a bunch of ads for perfume and diapers appear on my profile, that just seems pointless and really against the grain of the entire "free" web movement. A lot of what we view on the internet--a lot of what we're a part of online--is free because of ads. Zuckerman, and Facebook, designed a way in which these ads could be targeted even better to suit the adver...
More About: Privacy

Apple vs PC Ads
2007-12-27 18:37:00
Alright. Let's get some discussion on this one.Blendwire wants your feedback.Is Apple on the right track with their Apple vs PC ads, or do they stink to high heaven? The Apple vs PC ads started out pretty clever, but they've been going on for some time now, and like many ad campaigns before, they're starting to sound stale. But what are your thoughts? Has Apple gone too far? Have they simply made too many of these ads? Or are they downright misleading? Do you really have more fun on a Mac? There are a good deal more games for the PC, right? Or, is Apple right on. Is a PC less fun, more vulnerable to attack, and simply not as high quality?

Blendwire Logo Contest
2007-12-27 18:32:00
Blendwire needs a logo, and we're asking our readers to design it for us! Submit your best design to submissions@blendwire.com.The best design will become our new logo and will be featured on our site. We'll link to the designer's site and give them an email account at Blendwire. The winning designer will also become an official Blender with full article/design submission rights.May the best design win!
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Custom PC Contest
2007-12-27 18:25:00
Blendwire is sponsoring a new contest. Submit specs and pics of your best Custom PC to submissions@blendwire.com. The best Custom PC will be spot-lighted on Blendwire.com with links to the designer's site.For this contest PC's will be graded based on aesthetics, wiring, and creative design. The power of the machine will not be graded. So don't be dissuaded from entering your pimped-out P3 Batman mod. You still stand a chance.
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IBM Unveils Light-Based CPU
2007-12-22 15:24:00
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com /pagead/show_ads.js">So IBM has revealed a pretty amazing new discovery: a processor that communicates via light rather than wire. This can lead to speeds up to 100 times faster than current processors, generating around ten times less heat, all housed in units up to 1,000 times smaller than the current technology allows.This, basically, brings super-computing--which today uses rows and rows of refrigerator-sized servers--to the consumer market. Yes, your laptop could be running a super-computer chip in the next ten to fifteen years.This technology will certainly also influence how graphics cards and sound chips and everything else you can imagine will be built. We will be using cell phones with the graphical power of an 8800GTX graphics card.IBM has outdone itself on this one. Big things will happen in the near future...
More About: Light

History of the Microprocessor
2007-12-21 15:59:00
The single biggest improvement in the history of the computer could be the development of the first microprocessor. This little chip allows a mind boggling amount of processing power to be packed into a very small space. Space is one of the biggest limiting factors in actually assembling a computer at a reasonable price. By being able to pack more and more processing power into a smaller area, the strength of modern computing is able to expand exponentially through advanced chip development. The first microprocessor chip was invented by Intel back in November of 1971. This little chip was crucial to new development. Integrated circuit technology had opened the door for advanced computing that was only limited by the amount of chips that could put together. This chip, the 4004, made the crucial development step of managing to pack all of the computer's "brain" into one part.This small microprocessor contained the full power of the central processing unit while also providing...
More About: History

Sony Ericsson W880i - Slim Handset for the Fashion Conscious Users
2007-12-21 15:23:00
Mobile phones with slim profiles attract a special category of fashion conscious users who believe in making their handsets an integral part of their hi-end lifestyles. The latest and best features should come within an attractive package to be noticed by this special group of people. Sony Ericsson w880i is one handset model that is being favored by fashionable users from across the world.As a matter of fact, the w880i from Sony Ericsson is the slimmest walkman phone available. This fact in itself makes the handset highly popular and gives it a character that is distinctly its own. A part of the walkman series, the Sony Ericsson w880i can be used as a substitute for a music player. An owner of this handset can make the most of its innovative features and listen to his favourite tracks - more so when he is on the move. The sound quality is superb. In addition, special features such as a stereo hands free, PC software, and 1 GB of memory guarantee a complete mobile music experience. ...
More About: Fashion , Handset

Ten Google Musings
2007-12-21 06:41:00
They are worth over 188 billion dollars. Perhaps their company name is actually code for the amount of money they hope to someday be worth. It's always possible. I use their primary product every day. I've set my homepage to Google . I check and see if my pages are showing up on Google's searches. Without their service I would have to use Yahoo or Ask! They have a suite of online collaboration tools that really suck. There are so many better ones out there I have to ask myself, with 188 billion dollars couldn't you come up with something better? They bought Youtube which was brilliant. They are rated the number one company to work for in the country. I would work there. Finding over 100,000 results to an search request is stupid and pointless. This is their strength and their weakness. If I had 188 billion dollars I'd buy private jets and house them on NASA runways near my corporate headquarters, too. I wish I had more control over Adsense, like I get from Adbrite....
More About: Musings , Sings