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We went to Memphis to see Tom Waits, and on top of that we got to see all the madness that is Graceland. Click on through for pictures from the VIP Tour. Oh, and if you ever go, spring the extra $25 per person to be a VIP. There’s extra water in it for you.
I know I’m not alone when I say I’m an American and I’m not afraid. I know I’m going to die. I accept that I’m going to die, no problem. What I do not accept and will not accept is the notion that I must live as a slave to fear for the purposes of craven, cowardly men who, in their time, pissed the bed instead of fighting an actual war, later to become powerful, using that power to line their pockets with my tax dollars. Give me liberty or give me death. Take your “terror” and shove it.
I’m not sure what else I can say.
Almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happen within three seconds of some form of driver distraction, according to the report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
The two research groups monitored the behavior of 241 drivers in 100 vehicles for more than a year. During the 2 million miles of the study, the drivers were involved in 82 crashes and 761 near-crashes.
Reaching for a moving object multiplied the risk of a crash or near-crash by nine times, according to the study. Reading, applying makeup, or dialing a handheld device tripled the risk.
“All of these activities are much more dangerous than we thought before,” Dr. Charlie Klauer, a senior research associate at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
“But also we’re very concerned about the fact that not only are we drinking our coffee and we’re disciplining our children and we’re eating sandwiches in the car, but the proliferation of technologies in the vehicle have just exacerbated the amount of time that drivers are distracted,” she said.
Using cell phones was the most common distraction for drivers, the study found.
And while talking on a cell phone was less risky than dialing, it was a factor in almost as many crashes because it was done far more often, the researchers said.
Today is Chinese (and other Lunar-based) New Year. The Asian community in Austin puts on a nice dragon dancing and fireworks show and for once Patita and I made it to the festivities. Click through for more pictures.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, it’s the Year of the Dog, which is my year. So respect me or I might bite. Or at least sy something mean.
Finally, know your dragons. There might be a quiz or something.
Penn Jillette, of Penn & Teller fame, takes a stand on NPR’s This I Believe segment…
Believing there is no God means the suffering I’ve seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn’t caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn’t bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.
Now there’s something to consider. And maybe it’s even something to be thankful for…
Sony’s BS stealth DRM got you down? Check this action:
Gartner: piece of tape defeats any CD DRM
So, it would seem that DRM really is like trying to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig. Way to go, RIAA and Sony!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the best(?) halloween costume ever. The official licensed DEVO® Radiation Suit, available (now at a steep discount) at Target, and maybe other places.
The costume includes radiation suit shirt and pants as well as belt and hat. Possibly shades, too. But not the whip! No! Never the whip!
It was almost purchased by Patita. But in the end, we opted to move on silently.
Q: Are we not men?
A: We are DEVO!
