Monthly Archive for July 2003
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July 1, 2003
Happy Canada Day!
So I tore off yesterday's calendar page this morning (yes, I still use an analog calendar in certain locations) to reveal that today is the 136th anniversary of the formation of the Canadian Confederation in 1867. So here's a big shout-out to my brethren of the Great White North...HAPPY CANADA DAY! You can learn more about Canada Day over at Canada Online.
Posted by Turfdigger at 7:09 AM
This entry has been posted to: General Info
July 2, 2003
A Different Kind of War Deck
The Ruckus Society, an Oakland CA activist group, has created a different kind of "52 Most Wanted" deck:
"RUCKUS SOCIETY War Profiteers Playing Cards - $9.00 ($10.00 list)
Hot off the presses! The perfect playing cards for your progressive poker night, or to give to your favorite crotchety conservative! Fight the Right with wit and facts- every hand's an intellectual winner!
The War Profiteers Card Deck exposes some of the real war criminals in the US's endless War of Terror. This is no Sunday bridge club. These are individuals and institutions that stack the deck against democracy in the rigged game of global power. Exposing their place in the house of cards illuminates the links among corporations, institutions, and government officials that profit from endless war. The US War of Terror is not about liberation, democracy, or UN resolutions. Plainly put, the War of Terror--whether in Iraq, Colombia, Afghanistan, or the USA--is about subjugation, resource extraction, and opening markets: a practice once referred to more honestly as colonialism."
Distribution is being handled via Alternative Tentacles Records, Jello Biafra's label.
Link to product page | Thanks Sonik!
Posted by Turfdigger at 4:34 PM
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While we're on the general topic...
The Washington, D.C. based Corporate Crime Reporter has released their listing of the Top 100 Corporate Criminals of the '90s. I've not been thru the whole list yet, but I'm not surprised about some of the pharmaceutical offenses I've seen so far.
Read the list here | [via BoingBoing]
Posted by Turfdigger at 4:53 PM
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Yet Another New Level of Trunk Thumpin' (dB Drag Racing)
You may not have seen them, but chances are pretty good that you've heard them: mega-subwoofer-packin' automotive thunderboxes (often with accompanying resonator-boy exhaust.) I had no clue how far these decibel-drunk automotive afficionados have extended their passions for sound pressure until I caught this byline on CNN:
"By Stephan Wilkinson
Popular Science Wednesday, July 2, 2003 Posted: 10:23 AM EDT (1423 GMT)
-- Troy Irving's 18-year-old Dodge Caravan has a heck of a sound system: 72 amplifiers -- you got it, 72 -- and 36 big 16-volt batteries to put out the 130,000 watts of power needed to rumble his nine 15-inch subwoofers.
To put that into perspective, the most powerful production-car audio I know of is the $230,000+ 2003 Aston Martin Vanquish's 1,200-watt system. Irving carries $80,000 worth of audio alone, in a vehicle that is worth, admittedly, slightly less than the Maybach. Must be fun to ride down Main Street with the windows rolled down, right?
Not really. At a curb weight of about 10,000 pounds, the Caravan is basically undrivable. There is virtually no room for a driver, and even less for a passenger."
Yow. Ow!
Read the full story via cnn.com
Posted by Turfdigger at 5:07 PM
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July 3, 2003
Look at the Cute Puppis!
Jupiter-kin gas giant discovered in the constellation Puppis:
Alien Solar System Much Like Ours
"British scientists detect a star that has a giant planet in an orbit much like Jupiter's. What's the big deal? The Jupiter-like planet could be a key ingredient for allowing other planets in the system to harbor advanced life." By Erik Baard, Wired News
Posted by Turfdigger at 10:35 AM
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The New Doublethink
Should American citizens question the decisions of their government? Absolutely. Too often, our government and its various corporate cohorts make decisions and institute policies under the convenient umbrella of "public safety" or "homeland security" so that the public will not question the other implications of such decisions and policies; fear is a powerful means by which public opinion and perception may be influenced and we must always be conscious of this socio-political concept. The following AP byline in today's Wired News is a worthwhile read:
Another Tool for Big Brother?
"A surveillance camera that can track and analyze the movement of individual vehicles in a crowded city is being developed for the Pentagon. Despite assurances that the camera is meant only to protect troops in the field, civilian authorities will probably want to use it, too."
Link to full story | [Wired News]
Posted by Turfdigger at 11:44 AM
This entry has been posted to: News
Rogue Amoeba Does It Again
The wacky developers over at Rogue Amoeba, makers of the super-duper mega-useful Audio Hijack and Audio Hijack Pro, have done it again with their release today of Detour. Detour is $12 shareware ($10 thru the end of July 2003.) Here's a bit from their press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 3rd, 2003
Rogue Amoeba Unveils Detour - Take A Different Path With Your Audio
Princeton, NJ - Rogue Amoeba Software is announcing the immediate availability of Detour, our newest audio utility for Mac OS X. Detour provides the ability to choose the audio output device and relative volume for all of your applications - a capability never before seen on OS X that will appeal to users of all types. From serious audio pros to the computer music lover in all of us, Detour provides the control over your sound that you've always wanted.
With Detour, you can send iTunes music and DVD Player sound to an external set of speakers or headphones while keeping noises from iChat and other programs coming out of the computer's smaller built-in speaker. Keep your music distraction-free and never again be jarred out of a groove session.
Detour can also be used to lower the volume of some applications relative to others. Even users with just one system output will benefit from Detour. Use Detour to lower the volume on your email notifications so they don't cut through music and movies - or selectively mute programs which insist on making noise you don't need to hear.
I own a license for Audio Hijack Pro and have found it to be an invaluable tool. I look forward to adding Detour to my OS X audio toolbox!
Posted by Turfdigger at 3:23 PM
This entry has been posted to: Audio