"Hello, I'm a PC, and I don't think jokes about feminine hygiene are funny."
Or something like that, anyway. Microsoft was set to sponsor a prime time special by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane as part of its Windows 7 media blitz, but was somehow surprised when the MacFarlane-esque fare didn't exactly "fit with the Windows brand."
It appears that Microsoft doesn't approve of "riffs on deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest," so they've pulled out of the project after getting a look at the content. Didn't they look at any samples of MacFarlane's stuff before they signed on? Or did they just think that with a name like "Family Guy," it must be good clean fun?
One comment on the AdAge article says "But fear not as all is saved! I just heard that Microsoft has hired Michael Richards to do some colorful Windows 7 skits."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dismantling America
From our "I Wish I'd Said That" department: He said it far better than I could, so I'll quote Thomas Sowell:
Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many "czars" appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?Click on the link to read more.
Did you think that another "czar" would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers — that is, to create a situation where some newspapers' survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?
Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called "experts" deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?
Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones?
Does any of this sound like America?
Friday, October 23, 2009
So much for the rule of law
The governor of North Carolina is making a terrible (but popular) mistake. But first, some background:
Back in the 1970's, the law in North Carolina was clear: a "life sentence" actually meant 80 years, and with credits for good behavior could be as little as 35 years.
Many people thought that was too lenient, so in the 1980's the law was changed. First, the law was amended to remove the credits for those convicted of the most serious crimes. Later, it was changed so that in some cases a life sentence would actually mean the person convicted would stay behind bars until he died.
The problem is that the state prison system applied these new rules retroactively. That is, until Bobby Bowden filed an appeal with the state's Supreme Court. Bowden (not the Florida State football coach) was sentenced to death in 1975 for murdering two people during the robbery of a convenience store. The supreme court later took Bowden off death row, and sent his case back to be retried. He was given a life sentence.
Bowden filed an appeal four years ago, claiming that according to the laws at the time of his sentencing, he had served his time and should be released. 13 days ago, the state Supreme Court upheld an earlier appeals court ruling that agreed with Bowden.
Now, as a result of that ruling, Bowden and 19 others are scheduled to be released from prison. They have served their time and there is no law that will allow the state to continue to hold them.
Governor Beverly Purdue suggested on Thursday that she will defy the courts, going to jail if necessary, to stop these 20 murderers and rapists from being released. By the end of the day she had backed down, opting instead to have her lawyers go through the fine print of sentencing laws to look for loopholes and make sure the "good-time" credits have been properly applied. In the meantime, the state Attorney General has also asked Federal authorities to try to find some federal law under which these prisoners can be held.
It's hard to have sympathy for the prisoners. They did horrible things and deserved their punishment. Under today's laws, there would be no question; they would all die in prison. But they weren't convicted and sentenced under today's laws. They have served their time and should be released, no matter how much we hate the idea. Because the alternative is to live in a world where our leaders are dictators, who get to change the rules whenever they don't like the outcome.
That should scare us much more than the idea of releasing a few bad guys.
Back in the 1970's, the law in North Carolina was clear: a "life sentence" actually meant 80 years, and with credits for good behavior could be as little as 35 years.
Many people thought that was too lenient, so in the 1980's the law was changed. First, the law was amended to remove the credits for those convicted of the most serious crimes. Later, it was changed so that in some cases a life sentence would actually mean the person convicted would stay behind bars until he died.
The problem is that the state prison system applied these new rules retroactively. That is, until Bobby Bowden filed an appeal with the state's Supreme Court. Bowden (not the Florida State football coach) was sentenced to death in 1975 for murdering two people during the robbery of a convenience store. The supreme court later took Bowden off death row, and sent his case back to be retried. He was given a life sentence.
Bowden filed an appeal four years ago, claiming that according to the laws at the time of his sentencing, he had served his time and should be released. 13 days ago, the state Supreme Court upheld an earlier appeals court ruling that agreed with Bowden.
Now, as a result of that ruling, Bowden and 19 others are scheduled to be released from prison. They have served their time and there is no law that will allow the state to continue to hold them.
Governor Beverly Purdue suggested on Thursday that she will defy the courts, going to jail if necessary, to stop these 20 murderers and rapists from being released. By the end of the day she had backed down, opting instead to have her lawyers go through the fine print of sentencing laws to look for loopholes and make sure the "good-time" credits have been properly applied. In the meantime, the state Attorney General has also asked Federal authorities to try to find some federal law under which these prisoners can be held.
It's hard to have sympathy for the prisoners. They did horrible things and deserved their punishment. Under today's laws, there would be no question; they would all die in prison. But they weren't convicted and sentenced under today's laws. They have served their time and should be released, no matter how much we hate the idea. Because the alternative is to live in a world where our leaders are dictators, who get to change the rules whenever they don't like the outcome.
That should scare us much more than the idea of releasing a few bad guys.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Before and After
I had my final visit with Dr. Schmorr this morning, and she was kind enough to email me her before and after photos of my teeth. She did a great job of making them look nice, and it only took nine months!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Ignorance is bliss?
I met a girl once. She was really sweet, and kind of cute. I asked her what she did; she didn't have a job, because she was on disability -- although there didn't appear to be anything wrong with her. She didn't have any hobbies, either. When I asked what she did all day, she said she watched TV, or chatted with friends on Yahoo, or talked to her sister on the phone. She never read books, or even newspapers or magazines.
That was pretty much the end of our relationship. There just wasn't anything we could talk about.
But I meet a lot of people like her, blissfully ignorant folk with an astounding lack of curiosity about the world around them. These people don't own a single book, or they think a half-dozen Danielle Steele novels is "a lot of books." They are content to sit, mesmerized, in front of the TV. And when they do, they aren't watching CNN... they are feeding their poor, useless brains a steady diet of sitcoms and "reality" shows.
These people are out there, in greater numbers than you can imagine. And here's what scares me: their vote counts the same as yours and mine.
That was pretty much the end of our relationship. There just wasn't anything we could talk about.
But I meet a lot of people like her, blissfully ignorant folk with an astounding lack of curiosity about the world around them. These people don't own a single book, or they think a half-dozen Danielle Steele novels is "a lot of books." They are content to sit, mesmerized, in front of the TV. And when they do, they aren't watching CNN... they are feeding their poor, useless brains a steady diet of sitcoms and "reality" shows.
These people are out there, in greater numbers than you can imagine. And here's what scares me: their vote counts the same as yours and mine.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Things that make you go "hmmmm..."
According to Rasmussen, over 60% of Americans oppose proposals to charge overweight people more for their health insurance.
In an related story, the CDC reports that over 60% of Americans are overweight.
In an related story, the CDC reports that over 60% of Americans are overweight.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Christians burning Bibles?
According to the website of the Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina, they are going to celebrate Halloween by burning "perversions of God's word." These "perversions" include Bibles that are not the King James Version, as well as "satanic influenced music" including the usual suspects (rock, rap) but also "contemporary Christian" and "Southern Gospel."
They are also burning books by such noted heretics as Billy Graham, Rick Warren, and Mother Theresa. As Dave Barry used to say, "I am not making this up."
Oh, and they'll be serving chicken, too! So bring your appetite and your heretical works and come on down!
They are also burning books by such noted heretics as Billy Graham, Rick Warren, and Mother Theresa. As Dave Barry used to say, "I am not making this up."
Oh, and they'll be serving chicken, too! So bring your appetite and your heretical works and come on down!
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