- EL MUNDO | Suplemento de Nueva economia 239 - �En 20 a�os, el Estado de Bienestar en los Estados Unidos no ser� necesario�

Grover Norquist, as quoted in El Mundo: "Si, porque ademas su base demografica se esta hundiendo.Cada ano mueren dos millones de personas que combatieron en la Segunda Guerra Mundial y que vivieron la Gran Depresion. Esa generacion ha sido una excepcion en la Historia de EEUU, porque ha defendido politicas antiamericanas. Ellos votaron por la creacion del Estado de Bienestar y por el servicio militar obligatorio.Ellos son la base electoral democrata. Y se estan muriendo. Y, al mismo tiempo, cada vez mas estadounidenses tienen acciones.Eso hace que defiendan los intereses de las empresas, porque son sus propios intereses. Por eso, es imposible llevar a cabo politicas de odio social, de lucha de clases."

Holy crap. I always thought Norquist was a bit of right wing radical, but this is ridiculous. "Politicas antiamericanas"...yeah, thanks for saving the world grandpa, now get to dyin'! Nice one Grover.

Jar Jar Binks: The greatest thing that ever happened to Star Wars-I LOVE JAR JAR!!!!

I happen to like Jar Jar. And this web site tells me I am not alone. Unlike C-3PO, Jar Jar actually tried to help. Now bring on the haters.

Jar Jar Binks: The greatest thing that ever happened to Star Wars-I LOVE JAR JAR!!!!

PlayStation 2: TGS 2004: GT4 Preview

Christmas may be a no-show for GT4. Read this article from IGN, especially the quote from Sony saying: "will be trying to hit that date" when asked about delivery time.
PlayStation 2: TGS 2004: GT4 Preview: "'will be trying to hit that date'"

Gran Turismo 4 gets a release date, goes offline - PlayStation 2 News at GameSpot

As first speculated in JimDandy, GT4 will, barely, make it out for Christmas without an on-line component. Read more here...
Gran Turismo 4 gets a release date, goes offline - PlayStation 2 News at GameSpot

Sports: NBA Live Shipping Early and at a reduced cost!

It seems that the ESPN 2K series of buggy, but enjoyable sports games are taking a bite out of EA's business. I was thrilled to hear this news as I really enjoyed NBA Live 2004. Sometimes competition is a good thing.
Sports: NBA Live Shipping Early

Haters of Canadian Culture Rejoice

In lieu of hockey, the CBC will be playing Hollywood movies! As reported in theThe Globe and Mail, the CBC will replace hockey with Lilo and Stitch, Indiana Jones, and Happy Gilmore. Thank god the hockey we paid for is being replaced by movies from the U.S. At least they aren't showing any of the movies we did help to pay for (see: Telefilm Canada). Will this be red meat to the haters of the CBC and its usual mandate to not celebrate the United States? Time will tell, time will tell.

PlayStation 2: Sony Announces New PS2

"Wow, that is a lot smaller than I thought it would be!"
No gentle reader, that is not a quote from a girl I used to date, but is instead my reaction to the new and "improved"? PS2 that Sony will be selling this Christmas. And the point of it is..?

PlayStation 2: Sony Announces New PS2

The Sissy - Violent Homoeroticism Comes to Christian Worship

The Sissy is Oz for Christians.

Klein Appeals To His Base

This from the Calgary Herald :

Controversy surrounds Tory candidate elections:

The Klein government is being accused of lacking leadership over growing complaints surrounding candidate nominations for the November election.

The latest flap involves allegations that drunks were rounded up from a downtown Edmonton hotel and given booze and cigarettes to vote in the Gold Bar nomination meeting."


Now, a show of hands please ; who is surprised?

Ex-Pop Singer Held After D.C. Flight Diverted (washingtonpost.com)

Ex-Pop Singer Held After D.C. Flight Diverted (washingtonpost.com): "U.S. security officials yesterday diverted a Washington-bound United Airlines flight and detained Yusuf Islam, formerly known as the pop singer Cat Stevens, after discovering that he had been allowed to board the plane in London even though he was on the government's no-fly list.

Islam was questioned in Bangor, Maine, by Customs and Border Protection agents. Dennis Murphy, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Islam is scheduled to be deported today on a flight to Europe. 'He is being detained on national security grounds,' Murphy said. He declined to elaborate"

Making the Cut

When I grow up, I want to play hockey one third as well as Teresa Marchese.

But I probably won't.

BW Online | April 12, 2004 | Commentary: The Costco Way

It's an old article, but it does provide an interesting lesson. Even though good pay helps "to motivate and retain good workers", and results in "lower turnover and higher productivity", Wall Street prefers the rush to the bottom. No good deed will go unpunished by the market.

TITLE 18 , PART I , CHAPTER 84 , Sec. 1752.

I have been wondering for a while about the arrests of protesters in the U.S. Even people standing quietly on public property have been arrested. Now the burqua of ignorance has been lifted from my gaze. It turns out there is an obscure and unused law on the books in the U.S. that is very convenient to the unelected resident of the Whitehouse. Click the link and read part ii) of section 1. They aren't restricting free speech, they are protecting the Resident from assassination. How silly of me to think otherwise!

Nintendo DS: $149 on November 21 - News at GameSpot

$200.00 CDN?! Yikes!

Nintendo DS: $149 on November 21 - News at GameSpot

Jose Acasuso - Mediocrity rewarded!

I was nosing around the tennis section at CBS.SportsLine.com, and looked up the winner of the Bucharest Open - Jose Acasuso. Check out this guy's year; almost all first round losses, one win, two semis. And a record at the Grand Slams in the last 3 years that any one reading this blog could have. And he made US$251000 this year. For failing in 11 of 15 tournaments. Now, I do understand that he has to pay for his travel, but hell, I can travel the world on that kind of money no problem. And I don't think they are overpaid - I think they are paid what they can get. But, like golf, tennis has become a sport where one can make a boatload of cash in spite of not being good. Not "good" in comparison to us, but "good" in comparison to their peers.

Homework for this week is : name other professions that reward poor/mediocre performances with similar remuneration.

Man, I wish I hadn't sucked at tennis.

Ain't It Cool News - View Article

Is anyone buying the "New" Star Wars DVD's? I don't know if I can stand the pain. I'm also assuming that the credits will also have been altered to reflect the newly discovered fact that George Lucas was, by his account, the only person to have contributed to these films. Huh, who knew?

Here's what Ain't it Cool News had to say about the Trilogy. I couldn't agree more!

"What was 2 great films and a flawed, but triumphant 3rd have been transformed by their Dr Moreau into amalgamated monstrosities filled with “Where’s Waldos” and visual whiz-bangs that were and are entirely unnecessary. Lucas’ vain struggle to find perfection has resulted in refining his diamond to dust. I love this series dearly, but his continual meddling is not resulting in “better” films or finer “art”. Instead, they represent change for changes’ sake and what is lost is the context and time in which they were conceived and made."

John Tory, Leader of the Ontario PC Party

John Tory, who has never held an elected office (he was rejected 6 times) had this to say about his policy : "We will express conservative principles differently when the next election comes around". Hello low expectations!