James Kim

Several years ago, there was a great cable/satellite TV network called TechTV. I used to watch it several hours a day. It is where I learned almost everything I know about computers, and anything geeky. "The Screen Savers," "Call for Help," and "Fresh Gear" were among the great shows on the network. I actually got on the shows several times, via webcam, to ask tech questions.

Then, unfortunately, a couple years ago, TechTV's rival, G4, bought them out and ruined everything...but enough about that.

In the good old days of TechTV, there was a sweet Asian man named James Kim. He was one of those people that you just knew was a great person. His good vibes came right through the TV.

When I heard the news of his death today, I was extremely saddened.

My thoughts are with his family tonight.

Tortoise and Hippo

This is not the kind of thing I ever post on my blog, but this story touched me. Plus, it's a nice change from the usual fare.

(Thanks, Brian.)


Tortoise and Hippo

"Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."- Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, 2004 before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

"After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained. This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another. We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures. Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together.

Save the Earth... it's the only planet with chocolate.


















(Sorry, couldn't resist...plus Norman kinda looks like the hippo)

Bush has to go

From Bush's November 30 news conference:
...Another major focus of media attention was the following Bush statement in a news conference with Maliki: "I know there's a lot of speculation that these reports in Washington mean there's going to be some kind of graceful exit out of Iraq. We're going to stay in Iraq to get the job done, so long as the government wants us there."

Bush also said "this business about graceful exit just simply has no realism to it whatsoever."


From the 60 Minutes Interview With Bob Woodward:

Bob Woodward: Late last year, he had key Republicans up to the White House to talk about the war, and said 'I Will Not Withdraw Even If Laura And Barney Are The Only Ones Supporting Me.' Barney is his dog."


From Lizzy:

Bush has to go.

Nancy Pelosi made a pledge that she will not bring impeachment proceedings against Bush, but it is a pledge she must break for the good of the country, and the world.

Even some key Repubs are finally seeing this President for what he is (an ignorant, totally incompetent bully.) My hope is that they will start to entertain the thought of impeachment -- not only because it's the right thing to do but, their own political futures may depend on it.

Not Lame

My fiance's band, The Hard Left, is featured on Not Lame Recording Company's home page. Check it out, they are the 9th one down.

And, if you're up to it, and you've listened to the disc, please feel free to add a customer review!

Don't have the disc? Want one? Email me your address and I'll hook you up. You can also listen to a few of the tracks here.

My kind of Democrats

From the Al Gore interview in GQ:

"... And you know, I’m even reluctant to talk about it in these terms because it’s so easy for people to hear this or read this as sort of cheap political game-playing. I understand how it could sound that way. [Practically screaming now] But dammit, whatever happened to the concept of accountability for catastrophic failure? This administration has been by far the most incompetent, inept, and with more moral cowardice, and obsequiousness to their wealthy contributors, and obliviousness to the public interest of any administration in modern history, and probably in the entire history of the country! "


From the AP:

Bush, Webb have chilly moment over Iraq war

November 29, 2006
RICHMOND, Va. -- Jim Webb made was clear during his successful Senate race that his son's combat role in Iraq was a sore subject, and President Bush learned it for himself in a chilled recent exchange at the White House.

At a private reception for newly elected members of Congress two weeks ago, the Democratic senator-elect and leading Iraq war critic had avoided a receiving line and photo op with Bush. Then, the president found Webb.

"How's your boy?" Webb, in a Wednesday interview, recalled Bush asking.

"I told him I'd like to get them out of Iraq, and he said, `That's not what I asked. How's your boy?"' Webb said.

At that point, Webb said, Bush got a response similar to what reporters and others who had asked Webb about Marine Lance Cpl. Jimmy Webb, 24, have received since the younger Webb left for Iraq around Labor Day.

"I told him that was between my boy and me," Webb said.

Note from Lizzy:
I'm beginning to like the idea of a Gore candidacy in 2008 more & more. Obama, Edwards, Bayh, Clark, Gore? Like the kids say -- it's all good.

Vampire Bush

Someone on YouTube put this video together alongside Neil Young's Vampire Blues. Although some of the figures are dated, this is a good clip.

I may have to try my hand at one of these.

Polls shmolls

The following news item pisses me off. Who are these 530 registered Dems they polled for this, because I don't buy these results for a second. Like I've said many times before, I've never been polled, and no one I know has ever been polled. If we had been, Hillary would be at the bottom of this list.

When Obama announces his candidacy after the holidays, I'm hoping he knocks Hillary off the top of this ridiculousness.


From CNN.com/Political Ticker:

Clinton is '08 frontrunner, Kerry's support slips

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, remains the frontrunner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2008, with more than twice the support of any of her potential rivals, a new CNN poll shows.


Hillary Rodham Clinton 33%
Barack Obama 15%
John Edwards 14%
Al Gore 14%
John Kerry 7%
Wesley Clark 4%
Joe Biden 3%
Bill Richardson 3%
Evan Bayh 2%
Tom Vilsack 1%

Interviews with 530 registered voters who describe themselves as Democrats or Independents who lean to the Democratic Party conducted by telephone on November 17-19 by Opinion Research Corporation. Sampling error: +/-5% pts