Heh. That's MY kinda decorating.Microsoft is releasing a patch for the flaw in its Internet Explorer browser, which has already lead to the infection of more than 2m computers worldwide. The patch should be available on the Microsoft Update website at
The flaw, which lets hackers gain access to computers and steal personal data, was spotted last week in IE7. It was subsequently found in earlier versions of Microsoft's browser, IE5 and IE6, and the company has put together a patch for all versions of its browser.
Because IE is used by seven out of every 10 computers in the world, the flaw was potentially very serious and security experts went so far as to suggest that users dump IE and use another browser, such as Firefox.
Yup. And you won’t miss a single thrilling installment posted here at EIP if you switch to Firefox, too. (One should never miss an opportunity to toot one’s own horn, ya know. It’s The American Way.)
Still can't think what to get him for Christmas? Socks don't seem to cut it any more? Fret no longer because Burger King is here to help.
The mass purveyor of grilled meat is offering, for a limited time, something even better than their usual piles of beef patties. This week, American men were given the chance to smell like their favourite meat snack with the launch of Flame, Burger King's contribution to the perfume market.
The company describes Flame as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat".
Then again, one wonders why I had to hear about this in a British newspaper. Why haven’t I seen this advertised on my teevee? Or elsewhere in American media? But then again… I know it’s real. I’ve been to the web site. (Which is kinda cool, I must admit.)
As for me… Let’s just say I’m feeling a lil bit older, yet again. There are more to come, as well. Granddaughter Number One on the SN1 side of the house is with child, too. How does this keep happening? And SO soon?
... and this year's no exception. I'm without water and it's a self-inflicted wound. My water lines are froze up, even though I set a drip last evening. But my "slow drip" wasn't enough as I'm frozen solid. I didn't think I was in that much of a jam at first... as our forecasted high was supposed to be 37 degrees today. True to form, the weather forecast has changed and we're only going to get up to 27 degrees. I had a gallon of emergency water on hand but that's nearly gone... so I'll have to get out and buy frickin' water to make it through until tomorrow. My guess, as America changes, is that the Laura Bush type will fade away, and that more and more first ladies will be (however one interprets the phrase) "people in their own right"--and thus, potentially, a huge pain to the body politic. (Think Cherie Blair ...) There is some danger that Michelle Obama, a forthright and independent woman, could hew more to the Hillary model than to the Laura Bush way --although her demeanor in the election campaign suggests that she's not unaware of the public boundaries that Hillary, as first lady, failed to respect. And if Mrs. Obama really, really is, as I quote her saying (above), "taking some cues" from Mrs. Bush, then President Obama will be a very lucky man.Long time readers know I have a huge crush on Mrs. Bush. I keep wondering how Michelle Obama is "gonna follow that act," as they say in show-biz. Coz Laura is indeed a hard act to follow in the First Lady department. I'm gonna miss that woman.
That's great-grandson Taurean with Mom Amanda above. Taurean is one year old today... but the celebration was yesterday. And Mom's a pretty smart cookie, ain't she? Notice T's shirt came off before the frosting went on!
Where DOES the time go?
That’s what The WX Channel’s web site sez. The actual WX Channel on my teevee is a lil more pessimistic, however:
Why does that happen? I tend to believe my teevee, though. It's just brutal outside at the moment, and I won't begin to speak of the dust. Well, maybe I'll begin... the sky's color is pretty much a dull tan, which isn't like something you'd see in a Dust Bowl movie... i.e., totally obscured by black roiling clouds of dust... but it's MOST certainly a first-cousin of the same.
I’ve seen a lot of preview activity for this show on C-SPAN this week and it looks like it’s gonna be very, very good. Bonus: Laura has a BIG part in the documentary, as you might could glean from the trailer above. The WaPo also published a favorable review of the program today. Excerpts:
C-SPAN's two-hour documentary on the White House, which airs tomorrow night, passes by with the stately drama of a roll-call vote on a bill to temporarily modify certain duty rates and make other technical amendments to whatever. Piano music tinkles in the background as the camera pans voluptuously over clocks, rugs, sofas and chairs. Martial tunes swell as the state rooms come into focus. Red carpets and dishware, hand-lettered place cards, chocolate goodies from the pastry chefs -- this is catnip for the political crowd.
Its strength, however, goes well beyond home furnishings and real estate porn. The focus is squarely on how administrations and social history have impacted the meaning and look of the house, from its first occupants -- John and Abigail Adams -- to its current inhabitants, George and Laura Bush, who appear in the film, and in interviews broadcast through the coming week.
Tomorrow's overview is, in many ways, a thumbnail history of the presidency. Abraham Lincoln's time there is credited for creating the White House's public mystique and drama, albeit a tragic one. Theodore Roosevelt swept out decades of dark Victoriana and made it a showplace for a newly confident and increasingly imperial nation. Franklin D. Roosevelt's physical handicap meant that the world had to come to him, so the house became an increasingly powerful center of civic gravity. The Kennedy administration, and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in particular, helped establish the house not just as a working government building and a home but also as a carefully curated historical museum.
I wouldn’t want to hazard a guess at what the ratings will be. I’m guessing not too many people will tear themselves away from the frickin’ NFL to watch something like this. And that’s too bad. Ah…
(Forgive me my snark, Gentle Reader. But I’m far from not knowing what I do say…)
Room for Rent -- Inauguration Day/ObamaCon 2009The funny thing? I'm betting the dude/dudette is simply SWAMPED with offers.
Date: 2008-11-11, 11:45AM EST
In a search of a room in DC so that you can spend Jan. 20 standing in the bitter winter cold with thousands of like-minded souls watching the historic transfer of power from one Harvard grad to another? Look no further.PostingID: 914613135
Me: Heartless, greedy right-wing oppressive type looking to make a buck.
You: Obama's election was Christmas/your first kiss/May Day all wrapped into one. You dutifully wore his button -- which you have yet to remove -- contributed money to his campaign from your non-profit job and chanted "yes we can" as if it were the 11th commandment. A strange void now exists in your life and -- like an old hippie looking to recapture the spirit of Woodstock -- you are undertaking a pilgramage to Washington for one last gulp of the Kool-Aid.
Along with my bedroom you will have access to the house's many amenities including cable television (not that you watch much TV) for viewing Keith Olberman's latest unhinged rants and CNN in high-def. Wireless internet means that the Huffington Post and DailyKos are only a click away on your MacBook. American flags and other patriotic paraphernalia in the room can be removed upon request.
The house is located in the diverse neighborhood of Adams Morgan with people of many different skin pigmentations that will allow you to revel in your tolerance. Rest assured, however, that this diversity does not extend to ideology and that you are sure to march lock-step with the prevailing sentiment ensuring that your most strongly held beliefs remain unchallenged.
Easily accessible subway and bus stops will help ensure a minimal carbon footprint while fair trade coffee is never more than a few steps away at any number of independently-owned establishments. Nearby non-chain bookstores similarly mean that tomes such as Mao's Little Red Book, Chomsky's latest masterpiece or additional copies of The Audacity of Hope can be easily purchased either for yourself or as early holiday shopping.
Rather than state a price I am requesting that you bid on this fabulous opportunity to ensure profit maximization on my part so that I can better weather the Bush Recession.
Lanier Pl. at Ontario google map yahoo map
- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
This literally freaks me out when it happens but it doesn’t happen all that often, Thank God. Long-time readers may recall I’ve mentioned I had back surgery for a herniated disk ten years ago. The operation was successful but the recuperation process was lengthy (eight months or so) and certainly wasn’t pain-free, in and of itself. This was an event I’ll never forget and is the very first thing I think of when I experience ANY sort of back pain, and most particularly the type of back pain that is accompanied with pain in either leg. Freaks me right the Hell out, it does. The Good News: I got a good night’s sleep and I’m fine today. The Bad News: I have NO idea why this happened.
―:☺:―
The upshot of the above is yesterday was pretty much an “internet-free” sort of day. I spent some quality time with C-SPAN (a LOT, actually)… watching the Senate floor debate on the auto industry bridge loan and associated comment here and there. Most all y’all Gentle Readers are probably most gratified to learn the Republican filibuster held and the bridge loan failed. But I’m sure ya knew that already. Interestingly enough the Dow Jones Industrials are up…modestly… in the early going. Today will probably be a day of volatility in the markets as I’ve seen 100-point swings already. It looks as if Harry Reid was wrong (ed: what’s new about that?) about today being a market bloodbath (or words to that effect). Harry was speaking specifically of the US market when he made his statement last evening, but he might as well have been speaking about global markets. They ain't doin' so well.
“Let us pray…”
―:☺:―
Today’s Pic: I spent about two months in
I spent about 30 minutes in this piñata store, chatting with the nice saleslady and the folks that made the piñatas you see here. I was amazed that one could make a business… and an apparently successful business, at that… out of a single product as esoteric as the piñata. But then again, piñatas ain’t strange at all in México, are they?
I thought piñatas were pretty appropriate for today's post, since the US auto industry has been beat all to Hell and back in these pages... well, in comments, anyway... of late. Just sayin'.
February, 2000.
Or, more appropriately: junk mail. Political junk mail. I only check my snail-mail box once a week or so, but it appears the RNC is a little behind in their mailings. Note the dates on the two letters below:
Both letters were in my box today, and I know I checked my mail last week. That’s when all the bills arrive and I’m VERY diligent about collecting the bills and mailing out the requisite payments, which keeps me in the good graces of folks who provide me with services of one type or another.
But back to the subject at hand… I suppose I’ll be dunned with RNC mailings from now until eternity Hell freezes over, but at least I can throw them away unopened. I thought I’d avoid this sort of unpleasantness by declining to provide an e-mail address when I made my contribution to the McCain campaign earlier this Fall. And I have, sorta. At least my e-mail inbox is devoid of political spam.
Lastly… I know this is a form letter, but it’s a nice form letter. This came in about three weeks after I’d made my contribution to Johnny Mac:
Not bad, eh? I’m gonna keep it.
―:☺:―
We also get a lil bit of e-mail here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington. We received a note from
WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday night approved an emergency plan to prevent the collapse of the nation’s domestic automobile industry, but the measure faces serious opposition in the Senate, where Republicans are revolting against a White House-brokered deal to speed $14 billion to cash-starved General Motors and Chrysler.
After battling through the weekend to reach a compromise with congressional Democrats, the White House Wednesday dispatched Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten to sell the plan to restive Republican senators. But many GOP lawmakers emerged from a combative luncheon with Bolten unconvinced the plan would compel
After mostly partisan debate, the House voted 237 to 170 to approve the measure. But with Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and other conservatives threatening to block consideration of the measure, even some Republican advocates of the bailout said it is unlikely to attract sufficient GOP support to win approval in the closely divided Senate.
Let me quote my friend:
As you can imagine it has been rather stressful here with recent events. Our continued employment is very much at risk. Following is some information on the bridge loan and a number to call to leave a message with your representative for support of the loan. Here is the number if you do not want to wade through the material:
Phone calls to your legislators can be facilitated by calling 1-866-927-2233 and entering your 5-digit zip code when prompted.
We would all like to see the market work as it is supposed to and to leave government out of it. But these are not normal times, as the financial sector bail out indicates. (I do not remember seeing any bankers or brokers by the way having to testify for the money given, not loaned.) These are like 1932 times. The domestic auto industry has been caught at a time when credit is tight after very major restructuring.
Many people rightly wonder why others can make money here and not the big 3. Simply put, the big three have been operating in a higher cost environment for longer. We do our research here; the transplants do it overseas with workers whose health care and retirement are covered by the government. They have not operated here for 100 years, so do not have pension checks going to hundreds of thousands of retirees and their widows. And by the way, the credit crisis has affected all manufacturers;
Big changes have been made in the last few years to costs and compensation (without specifics, be assured ours is in there as well). The question is, do we want to live in a country with a large middle class, or do we want to go towards a model more like the Great Depression or one of the countries were are competing with? Anyone want to live and work in
I was similarly frustrated as many others were by the bailout of the financial sector, but saw the necessity for the overall economy. But the auto industry loan is a loan like what Chrysler received 30 years ago. That loan was paid back early and made a profit for taxpayers of $350,000,000.
Your help in the form of a phone call is greatly appreciated and I sincerely believe also in your own best interest. Following is some material for background as well.
Click here: GM Facts and Fiction
We need you to keep the pressure on by calling your
1-866-927-2233
I tried to make that phone call Wednesday evening, but my senators (Hutchison and Cornyn) had gone home for the day and voice mail wasn’t an option. I will be making the calls later today, rest assured of that.
Most conservatives are against the “bailout” for
The situation is dire. My friend… the guy who wrote the e-mail I’ve quoted above… called me last evening and we spoke for the better part of an hour. And, Gentle Reader, he’s convinced me that the loans Congress is proposing are absolutely, positively necessary. GM will be out of business before the end of the year if something isn’t done.
The House did the right thing last evening by passing the auto loan bill by a vote of 237-170. But, as noted in the article above, certain senators are vowing to filibuster this relief bill. And that's NOT the "right thing" to do in this climate.
Won’t you join me in calling your senators and asking them to support the auto industry loans? Please?
Captioned: "April 2008: Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler as the three graces. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz; styled by Michael Roberts and Jessica Diehl."
Yeah, OK. Right. Everyone who's anyone has something to say about this brouhaha, however meaningless and mundane it might be. I mean, we're talking Illinois politics, ain't we? Which is the antithesis of "squeaky clean." But I digress. All you really need to know about this oh-so-surprising scandal (surprising if you're a third grader, or if you live under a rock somewhere) is up at Iowahawk's place, to wit:Heh. You really gotta see this...BREAKING: Feds Seize Blagojevich eBay Account
CHICAGO - The ongoing corruption probe into Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich took a dramatic turn this evening, as federal agents working for US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced that they had seized the governor's eBay account. It is as yet unknown how the latest seizure will effect the outcome of the case.
IOWAHAWK EXCLUSIVE! RUSH UPDATE!
Leaked documents from latest sealed federal indictment (click to embiggen)
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (Well, sorta. I was a one-time vocalist with a group of friends at a squadron picnic)
4. Visited
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Depends on how ya define “art.” But I’ll go with it…)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (Once again: a qualified yes, but not in the “Carnival Cruise Lines” sense. Do troop ships count? Tramp steamers?)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Where the Hell would that be?)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (Snorkeling)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (a corporate training video)
56. Visited the
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in
74. Toured the
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (is there ANY other kind, other than “speeding?”)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (assuming fish count)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (fathered three, if that counts)
95. Seen the
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone (who the Hell hasn’t?)
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
So. Add these to that list of 150.
Today’s Pics: Apropos of #42, above.
May, 2000.
