CharmingGeek.net Funness

I wish I had found this video on St. Patrick’s day. But it’s not too late to memorialize those that died in the potato famine.

I’m declaring winter to be officially over.
I washed all my sweaters and I’m packing them up. My shorts are coming down from the top shelf of the closet. No more socks. I bought sunscreen, bug spray, and tiki torches today. My tent is ready to see action. I will be taking pictures of sunlit beaches to hang in my new office. (I have a new office! With a door and a window! Now I can close my door, open my window, slather on my sunscreen, and sunbathe right in my office!)
Happy summer, everyone!

I always disagree with my US representative, Jim Moran. It’s one of the main reasons I’m on his mailing list. Well, I got an email from him last night that blew my mind because I completely agreed! Here’s what he had to say.

Transcript of Remarks by Congressman Jim Moran on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, The Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (House of Representatives – March 15, 2006)
Mr. MORAN VA:

Well, I thank my good friend from Maryland. I have no illusions about the results of this vote, it’s going to be pretty much proportionate to the 62-2 vote that we took in the full appropriations committee. But I want to share with my colleagues why this is the wrong thing to be doing.

The fact is that Dubai is our natural bridge to the modern, peaceful and progressive Arab world. And with this amendment, instead of crossing that bridge, we blow it up. The fact is that we currently have over 600 ships that are using Dubai, U.S. Naval vessels. We have more than 77,000 military personnel who take leave in Dubai. We’ve never had a security incident. In fact, more U.S. military personnel take liberty, port leave in other words, in the United Arab Emirates today than in any other place in the entire world. The U.A.E. wants to be our friend. They want to invest some of those petro dollars back in the United States. They want to trade with Israel. They want to trade with europe. They want to trade with the United States.

They’re under a lot of political pressure, but the Emirs are standing up to that pressure. Couldn’t we be expected to do the same? Are we going to yield to the fear and the prejudice that I think motivates this amendment? Because it’s not reasoned judgment. In fact the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is conducting — was to be conducting a 45-day federal investigation. Then we would be able to make an informed decision. At the end of that investigation they were going to make recommendations.

But the reality is there aren’t a whole lot of things that need to be changed with this transaction. It’s a financial transaction. U.S. longshoremen still handle the cargo. The U.S. Coast Guard provides physical security. The customs service inspects the cargo and in fact, it was the U.A.E. who was first to sign the U.S. container security initiative we asked them to. They are doing everything, and my friends, the Director of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Chertoff, said if this deal goes through it will make our ports more secure, not less. Listen to the experts.

When does winter end? I’m ready to pack up my sweaters.

I need one of these really annoying alarm clocks. Maybe if my alarm clock ran from me, I’d actually get out of bed in the morning. Wait, no I do that already and go back to sleep. Maybe if my alarm clock hid from me…
Who am I kidding?

Information has been trickling out slowly about Microsoft’s Origami Project. By last week, it was pretty commonly believed that this was something like Intel’s Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). Today shows that to be the case. The unveiled mobile PCs are made by three manufacturers. Samsung is already getting press for releasing the first phone with a built in 8GB hard drive and announcing the Samsung YP-Z5 which I talked about a few days ago. The others will be built by ASUS (the company that is powering my PC right now) and a Chinese company called Founder. Rumor has it that LG Electronics, Acer, and Averatech won’t be far behind.
Built on the tablet PC platform, the UMPC is essentially a small touch-screen laptop without the keyboard, although Intel has shown a prototype for a version with a fold-out thumb keyboard much like what we see on Blackberries and PDAs today.
Now, Bill Gates has been talking for a while about his dream of a device available for under $500 that will be wearable, usable, and always on, meaning enough battery life to run all day. It doesn’t look like the Origami Project met his goals, but it comes close. At $600-$1000, it’s much cheaper than a laptop or the much talked about OQO and not much more than a 60GB iPod + iTrip and case. The battery life of 2.5 hours is certainly not all day, and that will have to improve. Still, I’ll add one to my wish list.

I made myself peacan crusted tilapia with seasoned cheese grits and finished off with some chocolate pudding. I. Am. So. Full.
I recommend the recipe if you happen to have grits and tilapia laying around like I did.
Don’t eat too much though. You’ll need a nap before doing the dishes.

Ever wonder what it would be like to obey the speed limit? I’ve noticed that the speed limit on most the DC Beltway is 55. Now there are times where driving along there at more than a roll is just not possible, but when traffic isn’t stopped, 55 if a joke. It’s actually scary to go that slow as cars blow past. Then you can forget it if you ever have to merge into another lane. On a four-lane, controlled access freeway, 65-70 is a safe speed. 55 is a crawl and the officers who allow 10-15 over know it. Then if you’re going 5 miles faster than all the other cars, you get a ticket for reckless driving. How about some practical traffic laws?
This video shows how ridiculous these speed limits are. A group of college students decided to drive around Atlanta, going the speed limit the whole way. They called it an act of civil obedience that really shook things up for about an hour. [read more]

Maybe you live in North Carolina, or maybe you’re ready for a break from this winter weather. Before you board a plane, take this quiz to find out what you know about dining around the world.
Thanks to Ninebucks for this link.