The Hackenblog

“The 200,000-member United Food and Commercial Workers, Western States Council, on Wednesday announced its support for Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize marijuana in California.

“‘The Western States Council is endorsing Proposition 19 based upon our previous support of the medical cannabis initiative, 1996’s Proposition 215,’ George Landers, the council’s executive director, said in a statement. ‘We view Proposition 19 as an enhanced version of the previous proposition, that creates taxable revenue and produces jobs in agriculture, health care, retail and possibly textile. We further believe that the proposition will deprive narcotics traffickers of a significant source of criminal revenue.’

“Ron Lind, international president of the union, and Dan Rush of its Local 5 also spoke out in favor of Proposition 19.

“‘The marriage of the cannabis-hemp industry and UFCW is a natural one,’ said Rush. ‘We are an agriculture, food-processing and retail union, as is this industry.’”
Union endorses initiative to legalize marijuana in California, by John Hoeffel, LA Times, July 14, 2010

Ah, California.

I finally got one. Yay!

(via)

(via)

Also, Al Franken Teaches You About Critical Facebook Privacy Settings.
By Meg Marco on May 7, 2010 7:25 PM

Or SF is a very patient town:

Flash Mob Boycotts Westin St. Francis(via)

Cute idea, but I don’t need to boycott the St. Francis. I can’t afford it in the first place.

There should be more restaurants like this.

It needed to be said, but I’m surprised at who said it:

“‘PowerPoint makes us stupid,’ Gen. James N. Mattis of the Marine Corps, the Joint Forces commander, said this month at a military conference in North Carolina. (He spoke without PowerPoint.) Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who banned PowerPoint presentations when he led the successful effort to secure the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar in 2005, followed up at the same conference by likening PowerPoint to an internal threat.

“‘It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control,’ General McMaster said in a telephone interview afterward. ‘Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable.’”
We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint, by Elisbath Bumiller, NYT, April 26, 2010

www.hackenblog.tumblr.com, also on the sidebar.

I know, another microblog, but I think I like it better than Twitter (I know, that’s not saying much, but still).

And if Swanksalot is doing it, I have to do it, too. I just hope he doesn’t jump off a cliff or something.

Oh, and The Wapshott Press has a Tumblr account, too: www.wapshottpress.tumblr.com, for those of you interested in such things.

Both of these Tumblr accounts aggregate from this webpage for the Hackenblog, and from www.WapshottPress.com for the Wapshott Press. There might be some occasional independent Tumblr action, but very occasionally. I can barely keep up as it is; thank God for RSS feeds.

And the original for comparison:

I embed; you decide.

“The election then. You’re probably already bored rigid with talk of it even though it’s not happening for another three and a half weeks.

“You might be one of those non-voters, giving it all that ‘Yeah, doesn’t matter who you vote for, the government still get in,’ and ‘They’re all a bunch of trough-gobbling cock-heads’ and ‘I heard a rumour about my MP – turns out he’s into snuff, sailors and Saturday Night Fever.’

“That’s fair enough, but it turns out that if you’re so apathetic that you haven’t even bothered to register to vote, you’re probably affecting your chances when it comes to getting credit for yourself.

“You know, borrowing money that you’ll spunk away on cars and electronic goods you don’t need, and then blaming the government when you can’t afford the repayments and your house gets repossessed.

“But not being on the electoral roll can affect your credit score – being registered to vote helps to verify your identity and will work in your favour when it comes to obtaining those consumer goods that you’re only buying in order to fill a hole caused by a chronic lack of self-esteem. You complete tit.”
Register to vote and improve your chances of getting a loan, by Andy Dawson, Bitter Wallet, April 12, 2010

So…I guess they have voter apathy in the UK…or something. Oh well. Vote. Vote early. Vote often. And vote as along as you can.

“This is pretty darn big… The Beat reports Marvel has left Diamond Book Distributors. Marvel had easily been DBD’s biggest account. No particular reason was given for the change, though DBD’s Kuo-yu Liang claims the distributor has been ‘prepared’ for the loss for some time.

“In early March, DBD let go two employees, which was immediately followed by a “glitch” that caused books carried by DBD to be priced incorrectly at online retailers Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a short period of time. A few weeks ago, Checker Book Group ended its relationship with DBD and Diamond Comic Distributors, citing problems with Diamond’s ability to collect debt from retailers.”
DBD loses largest publisher client to Hachette, by Simon, Icarus Comics, April 12, 2010

Hmmm….

But as a secretary, I’m fascinated.

The ending is a little weak, but who cares?

“Why did Sony give up on Arc? It’s unlikely that they thought consumers would be confused; the MS Arc products aren’t hugely popular and don’t have a lot of brand recognition. (In fact, before the PlayStation Arc name was floated, I would have challenged you to find three ordinary people who knew about MS Arc.) The MS Arc trademark is specifically for ‘computer mice and computer keyboards’, and the PS Move mark is for ‘game controllers’ and accessories – which from a trademark point of view, are pretty damn different. But trademark examiners are just humans, and the power of the Microsoft brand (and its 5 story building full of lawyers) is not to be trifled with. Sony probably felt that any risk involving MS was just too big to take. One wonders why this wasn’t all settled behind closed doors months ago. Perhaps it was just the case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object.”
Who’s Afraid of the Trademark Police? Everyone, by FC Expert Blogger Laurel Sutton, Fast Company, April 1, 2010

…the power of the Microsoft brand (and its 5 story building full of lawyers) is not to be trifled with.

That one part of that one sentence alone makes this blog post worth the time to read it.

I wouldn’t know. I’m not buying one until it can clean my house, get me off, and pay the rent.

The fabulous Betty Bowers says it all and better than I ever could.

“‘Whether he got scared by the thunderstorm and jumped the fence, we don’t know,’ he (Animal Control Officer Justin Guzman) said.

The dog was never really swept away, but managed for the most part to maintain his footing on a slender ledge in the middle of the river, the officer said.”
Los Angeles firefighter recounts daring dog rescue, by Gale Holland, LA Times, January 22, 2010

I don’t write this news, I just blog it.

(I know y’all have been waiting years for dog stories on the Hackenblog, well, here they are.)

“Gay rights supporters in California say they have found an unlikely ally in Cindy McCain, the wife of Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who lent her name this week to the cause of same-sex marriage.

“McCain’s support comes as Proposition 8 proponents and opponents battle over the constitutionality of California’s ban on gay marriage in San Francisco federal court. The ad features McCain, right hand over her heart, wind rustling her blond locks, with ‘No H8′ written on her cheek and silver duct tape over her mouth.”
Prop. 8 opponents say they welcome Cindy McCain’s support of same-sex marriage, by Amina Khan, LA Times, January 22, 2010

Oh dear, I might have to rethink my opinion of Cindy McCain. If I had one.

embiggen

1. Willie Brown (?); 2. Tiger Woods (?); 3. ?; 4. ?; 5. Harpo; 6. Chico; 7. Groucho; 8. Gray Davis; 9. ?; 10. Gumby; 11. Ahnold; 12. Barbara Boxer; 13. Antonio Villaraigosa; 14. ?; 15. DiFi; 16. ?; 17. ?; 18. Ronald Reagan; 19. ?; 20. ?; 21. Phil Angelides (?); 22. ?; 23. ?; 24. ?; 25. ?; 26. ?; 27. Jerry Brown; 28. ?; 29. ?; 30. ?; 31. ?; 32. ?; 33. Mark Twain (?); 34. ?; 35. Joe Biden; 36. Barack Obama; 37. Tina Fey; 38. Michelle Obama; 39. Alfred E. Newman; 40. ?; 41. Lassie; 42. ?

Good blog, cute masthead, but who are most of these people? I just don’t get out enough.

“Phil Angelides, chairman of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (and former California Treasurer [yay!]), saw a used-car salesman at work after listening to the pugnacious, arm-waving Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs (GS.N) describe his firm’s pre-meltdown practices.

“‘I’m just going to be blunt with you,’ he told Blankfein. ‘It sounds to me a little bit like selling a car with faulty brakes, then buying an insurance policy on the buyer of those cars. It doesn’t seem to me that’s a practice that inspires confidence in the market.’

“The bankers adopted a ‘mistakes-were-made’ posture while defending their pre-crisis methods as a product of the times and promising to do better since, as they admitted, the Federal Reserve has been watching them far more closely than the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Blankfein, pressed on whether his company would own up to ‘excessive risk’ practices, raised the notion of a rare season of dangerous hurricanes.

“Angelides shot him down.

“‘Having sat on the board of the California Earthquake Authority, acts of God (are) exempt. These were acts of men and women. These were controllable,’ he said.”
Metaphors flying at Wall Street bankers hearing, by Steve Holland, Reuters, January 13, 2010

Phil Angelides: my hero.

And “…selling a car with faulty brakes, then buying an insurance policy on the buyer of those cars” really sums up the old moral hazard issue right there, don’t it?

I have an IMDb page for some music I allowed the director to use. What a crazy wonderful feeling. Yay!

10% off with this code P4QUBBXL if you buy it here and eligible for Free Shipping at Amazon.

Storylandia 1
Kittycat Riley’s Last Stand, by Kelly S. Taylor; Not Quite a Prince, by Kathryn L. Ramage; More Minimalist Fiction, by Lene Taylor; Road Kill, by Lee Balan; Sunday Mornings, by Colleen Wylie; I, by Chad Denton; Practice, by Anne Valente; Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow, by Kitty Johnson
Cover: “Nacreous” by Hailaeos Troy, www.AntarcticPhotos.com.
https://www.createspace.com/3400139
10% off code: P4QUBBXL

Still seeking stories for the first issue of Erotique.

I’ve no idea why it’s taken me over 30 years to dig this song up, but there you have it. I’ve certainly been thinking about it off and on over the decades. I guess life got in the way. Oh well.

Part cyborg, all blockhead.

Jason…I…you…um…

I love these comics. Buy them. You’ll be glad you did. The first Weapon Brown, before Blockhead’s War, has a Christmas story in it.

Not all of us need the Public Option.

So there IS something to look forward to.

“In July 2008, hotelier and developer Doug Manchester donated $125,000 to help gather signatures for a proposition that would ban same-sex marriage in California. The early money was crucial to getting the initiative—which ultimately passed—on the ballot. At the time, he told The New York Times that he made the donation because of ‘my Catholic faith and longtime affiliation with the Catholic Church,’ which preferred that marriage remain between a man and a woman. Indeed, the Catholic Church has vehemently opposed gay marriage. Then again, it’s also not too keen on divorce.

“On Oct. 9, 2008, Manchester ended 43 years, eight months and nine days of marriage to Elizabeth Manchester by moving out of their La Jolla abode. The couple spent the next several months trying to reach a quiet settlement on how best to distribute millions of dollars in cash and other assets. In July, those talks totally broke down, and Doug started playing financial hardball with Elizabeth, allegedly draining the couple’s shared accounts and stealing her mail. On Aug. 6, Elizabeth filed a petition for redress in family court. All of the information in this story comes from those petitions. CityBeat contacted attorneys for both parties, but neither returned calls by press time.”
Ironic divorce. Protector of traditional marriage Doug Manchester leaving wife of 43 years, by Eric Wolff, San Diego City Beat, August 11, 2009

Someone once said that if you really want to protect marriage, outlaw divorce. Yeah, that’ll be the day.

Update below, they’re not all buying Ford Escapes. Yay!

“DETROIT (Reuters) – The punishing four-year decline in U.S. auto sales may have reached a turning point this week — just as Michael Papa handed over the keys to his 1996 Ford Explorer for a government-sponsored trade-in.

“Papa, a Detroit-area restaurant owner, and thousands of other Americans took advantage over the past week of the U.S. government’s ‘Cash for Clunkers’ incentive of up to $4,500 to trade in older gas-guzzlers for newer, more fuel-efficient cars.

“The sudden rush of demand at car dealerships long empty of customers quickly exhausted the $1 billion allocated for the program and drove U.S. auto sales to their highest level of 2009, analysts and industry executives said.

“‘I wasn’t really looking for a new car, but that was a big incentive. That was the driving force to finally get rid of (the old car),’ said Papa.

“His Explorer had 150,000 miles on it and averaged 15 miles per gallon. The Ford Escape he got in return posts average fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon.”
Clunker trade-ins to boost July U.S. auto sales, Reuters, August 3, 2009

I think we got more for that first billion than 222,222 gas guzzlers off the roads. I’d be happier if they all had to buy really fuel efficient cars or hybrids, but this isn’t a bad lurch toward gasoline efficiency. Oh, yeah, auto sales are good, too.

This is also better than a tax deduction because the saving is RIGHT NOW for the buyer and most of us are a RIGHT NOW kind of consumer. I’m not, but apparently 222,222 of my fellow Americans are.

Be interesting to see what happens in a year or two when former gas guzzler drivers’ gasoline costs are half as much. Yay!

UPDATE 080609:
“Toyota’s Corolla sedan overtook the Ford Focus as the best-selling vehicle in the “clunker” program. Toyota had two other passenger cars, the Prius hybrid and the Camry, in the top five. The Honda Motor Co Civic was No. 3.”
U.S. “clunker” sales top 180,000: officials, Reuters, August 6, 2009

I have a Toyota Corolla and it gets great gas mileage. It also starts when I turn the key and keeps running until I turn it off. It’s also comfortable and not flashy, but still easy on the eyes. I’ve had Fords (69 Mustang and some year Escort) and they just weren’t as good experiences as I’ve had with Toyotas. I had a Toyota Echo, I had an accident in the Echo, the Echo was crushed and totaled by a Chevy Tahoe SUV. The other driver filed a medical claim from being slammed around in her SUV while crushing my fuel-efficient compact car. I didn’t have any injuries. Proof once more that size does not matter. Toyotas will always be my first choice when buying a car.

I’m glad to know people are voluntarily buying fuel efficient and hybrid cars on the program. America is getting smarter by the minute. And someday American automakers get smart and make cars as well as Japan.

“If you’re someone who has to spend their whole day half-slumped in front of a computer keyboard, your time is almost certainly spent dreaming of razing the entire fucking office to the ground with a chainsaw. We feel your pain.”
Commercial Break: Sexist chainsaw massacre, by Andy Dawson on usb, Bitter Wallet, July 9, 2009

“‘It looks like you’re writing a letter. Would you like help?’ No. Fuck off Clippy. Remember Clippy? He’s the paperclip-shaped knobwit who would infect your work on Microsoft Word with his inane questions and offers of assistance.”
Commercial Break: Just when you thought it was safe to type the word ‘Dear’…, by Andy Dawson on office 2010, July 13, 2009

Knobwit. That word just made all the Bitter Wallet reading I’ve ever done totally worth it.

(Dude Craft)

I should have gone to art school.

Was the world really a better place then?

I wonder. You just don’t see PSAs like this anymore.