KeepHip.com

I'm bored, and the Internet isn't helping.

What's entertaining you these days?

"Liberalism, atheism, male sexual exclusivity linked to IQ."

"To be a Republican."

"Linksys router turned into smartphone-controlled doorman."

I thought at first some kind of Bluetooth enabled app would be better than a phone call, it occurs to me that would probably drain your batteries.

I've never believed government was the solution to everything. In fact, I've often stated on this blog that giving the government power - even when that power is a obvious solution to an obvious problem - is something we need to think long and hard about first. That's because one of any government's favorite tricks to say they need to have some legislation passed to authorize some new power to fight the "war on terrorism", for example. Then just about any government will use that power to spy on people - even people they don't think are terrorists.

But none of this is less true of corporations.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act was a mistake, because it gave corporations powers they too will abuse. In order for corporations to protect their copyrights, the DMCA gives corporations the ability to demand that content posted on the Internet be taken down. These days, protecting one's "Intellectual Property" is often nothing more than a useful cover story. (Although that's not the worst example one could think of.)

It may sound weird to some, but hearing a kid say something like I f*%@ed your grandmother somehow is still surprising despite the fact.

--Asphyxium001

"DNA’s Dirty Little Secret."

Newsweek tries to think their use of the word 'terrorist' through.

I can't say I think they did a good job.

Stack flew his plane into an IRS building, which is significant enough of a choice to call it a terrorist act. Flying a bigger plane into the World Trade Center (and killing more people) is only more terrorist in magnitude. Stack probably did it because he didn't like our government's tax policy, how is that different from doing it because of our government's Middle-East policy?

What the difference between a "protester" and a "terrorist" is is never defined. Aren't terrorists violent protesters of political actions and government policies?

Also note the parroting of vapid right-wing talking points like "Abdulmutallab was an attack on our freedom" from our so-called "liberal" media.

No less then two of the people who weigh in have some stupid idea that by definition, U.S. citizens aren't terrorists. Terrorism, it seems, is the creation of those dirty foreigners, or those who keep in contact with them. Where this came from is beyond me, yet it is asserted as if it has always been this way, and everyone should know that.

These people are the ones charged with informing the populace? Only Devin Gordon seemed to really have a clue in this whole roundup. Newsweek should be ashamed.

"Fox ‘News’ spins overtime to minimize Ron Paul CPAC straw poll win."

This is the real problem that may keep the GOP out of power for a while, the rejection of politicians that people like Ron Paul hold can appeal to independent voters, rather than the bat *^(# insane stuff Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck expouse.

I've fiddled around with Star Trek Online for an hour or so, so it's too early for me to give even a preliminary review, but looking at Rory's review over at Gamespot:

Having reached the rank of Captain, I'm convinced: Star Trek Online's appeal is classically conditioned. Trek fans are meant to salivate at the sights and sounds of their favorite universe made manifest, like a dog hearing the chime of a chow bell. And publisher Atari is banking on the hope that -- like Pavlov's pups -- consumers will be content with the same ol' kibble day after day. The result is a shallow, poorly paced, and repetitive game that, divorced from its storied source material, wouldn't warrant a second look. But hey, at least I'll always have that Defiant.

From this you can gather 2 things:

1. Unless he's lying he's played it a lot (Captain is the second highest rank in the game after Admiral)

2. He's a fan of at least Star Trek Deep Space Nine (which means he also has good taste!), and probably a fan of most Star Trek in general

You'd disagree with these common sense observations if you're a fanboi, however:

In conclusion you give Star Trek Online, which is a OUTSTANDING game, a 2 out of 5 and COD MW2 a 4 out of 5. Gamespy your standing in the industry keeps tanking. As of now I wont bother reading your material, as it lacks anything of substance or sense.

I think the writer is wrong, clearly a star trek hater, and didn't give the game a fair comparison to other games that first come out.

This review is a bunch of biased and uninformed trash. Clearly the reviewer was against the game from the beginning, is doubtfully a fan of the IP, and probably has some bias that existed before even getting into the game.

The moral of this story? When defending your $239 lifetime subscription to what may be a sub-par game, attack the messenger.

County Fair points out that Ron Paul isn't a party line Libertarian. Interestingly, he sides with modern conservatives in his deviation from the fold. Not that it means the GOP leaders hate him any less . . .

Bush's crony, Marc Thiessen, openly uses the word "torture".

(Previously.)

Conservatives and liberals are worlds apart in their ideologies — conservatives cling to the power of equality of opportunity and unfettered freedom, while liberals are fearfully willing to sacrifice the hard-earned dollars of honest Americans for the freedom of equal outcomes.

--Armstrong Williams

HeathReform.gov: Insurance Companies Prosper, Families Suffer: Our Broken Health Insurance System

Jamison Foser: The myth of the "liberal" Washington Post opinion pages

Reuters: How to decline Facebook friends without offence

Think Progress: Fox News ambusher Griff Jenkins hypocritically cowers from interview: ‘Call the media relations people.’

"Fox News scrambles to discredit CPAC after Ron Paul wins presidential poll."

A lot of people are convinced Republicans are improving their prospects for the next two rounds elections, but I'm not so sure. In the next presidential race, I'd say Ron Paul is probably the Republicans best chance with their electorate, but he's simply to honest for a party that seems to insist on nominating liars:

With their best chance sidelined, they're left running candidates with serious drawbacks.

I'm still not convinced that Mitt Romney (a Mormon) can win with the biases that exist against his religion (although I said the same about Obama and his race.)

I hope and pray for Obama vs. Palin, so Obama can walk into his second term with a landslide, but I don't think she will get the GOP's nomination.

Today's the day the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 goes into effect. USA Today has a decent summary of the changes.

I might look around to see if I can find a decent card, since I don't have one now.

I see that the economy has no chance of ever recovering.

Seriously.

The San Francisco Gate has a harsh review up of Shutter Island.

Speaking of Scorsesi, I think The Departed was good but mad over-rated.

When I read about these three people who kinda sorta might not really be starving and getting food stamps anyway, I got really, really pissed! I can't think of a better reason to gut the whole Food Stamp program.

I consistently astounded by the shoddy editing at many, many publications. Most of the time it's sloppy fact-checking, but sometimes the rank ignorance gets to me. It's like company policy at many places is "Well this idiot turned this copy in, but it's better to print it than throw it away."

I find it especially sad that the editors (and at least 1 writer) at New Scientist don't know about deflector arrays in a fluff story about Star Trek.

Sheesh.