I was reading the last edition of SD Times as it was conveniently laying out in the bathroom, and noticed the mention of a new magazine, Eclipse Review. It is set to launch in March, subscriptions (not yet available) will be free. I also noticed that SD Times is offering Spotlight on Eclipse, a supplement to their January issue, for download.
We just received the following from the Humane Society.
February 8, 2006
Dear Erik & Vicki,
I am writing to relay some shocking news. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it is ignoring Congress and thumbing its nose at all of your hard work to save American horses from slaughter for human consumption. In light of today's outrageous action, the horses need you now, more than ever.
As you know, we had a remarkable year for horses during 2005, winning two bipartisan, landslide votes in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to prevent the use of tax dollars to fund horse slaughter inspections. President Bush signed the final ban on November 10, 2005, and it is scheduled to take effect on March 10, just a short month away. This was a huge victory for America's horses and those of us who want to protect them from cruelty and abuse. The law meant that horse slaughter would be prohibited for the rest of the year. People like you across the nation were with us each step of the way during this legislative battle. Your hard work carried the day for horses, and the will of the people prevailed in Congress. Unbelievably, the USDA, with its ties to the livestock industry, says it will not implement this Congressional mandate. These bureaucrats are hell-bent on allowing the slaughter of America's horses!
Tell the USDA to respect the will of Congress and enforce the horse slaughter ban
It's not every day that animal advocates win a landslide vote in Congress to stop a cruel practice. We are disgusted that this victory is being stolen. This new development means that the tens of thousands of horses — who were to be spared from slaughter — may face a grim and bitter passage to slaughter this year, despite Congress's efforts to save them. Take action today to stop the USDA from betraying the horses and subverting the will of Congress and the American people.
1. Take action.
Contact the USDA and urge the agency to shut down this illegal and undemocratic scheme to slaughter horses. We need a permanent ban now more than ever. After you contact USDA, you will be prompted to contact your lawmakers so they know we have no time to waste — we must pass permanent legislation to protect our horses from slaughter. Members of Congress should be as angry as we are that the USDA is circumventing their clear directive. Click here to contact USDA and Congress now.
2. Spread the word.
Congress needs to hear about USDA's outrageous actions from as many Americans as possible. Ask your friends and family to contact their elected lawmakers as well. Click here to tell five friends to take action now.
Americans don't eat horsemeat — there is no domestic demand for it. But last year, more than 90,000 American horses were either killed in one of three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States or shipped to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. Our thoroughbreds, show horses, mustangs, carriage horses, and family ponies are shipped in inhumane conditions and butchered.
Knowing that hundreds of thousands of our loyal companions have already been slaughtered is simply devastating. Please stand with us and do everything you can to spare the lives of our horses. Together, we will stop this horrible practice. I know we can prevail, but all of us must take action.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
Talk about a blast from the past…
An exploit for mailback.pl, a Perl CGI script I wrote back in 1995, was discovered over the weekend. Bob at Eskimo North called me about it last Sunday.
Took us a while to figure it all out as Eskimo is running a slightly modified version.
The fixed public version can be found at:
ftp://ftp.skytouch.com/soft/unix/cgi-scripts/mailback.pl.txt
It comes with a wireless transmitter/adapter that connects directly to any standard 3.5mm, RCA or phono audio jacks. It allows you to listen to audio/music from up to 66 feet away. The sound quality is outstanding.
Additionally you can pair it to your phone and use it like any other Bluetooth headset.
And, that's the kicker, it does both at once. Let me explain…
I'm currently using it to listen to music all day long. Whenever my phone rings, the music is automatically muted. I just need to press the button on the earpiece to take the call. The music will unmute as soon as the call ends, which is actually a little jolting at first.
Now, it's hardly perfect either…
First, the various included extension/converter cords are total cheap pieces of crap. Thankfully, most local audio/video store will carry good replacements.
Second, the Bluetooth capabilities are very limited. There is no way to initiate a call from the headset, for example.
Third, you can't use the transmitter while it's charging. Well, you can, if you don't mind the hissing sound that comes thru the headphones.
Apart from these very minor annoyances, I just love it.
Why is the Super Bowl considered a World Championship? Which other country in the world is eligible to compete? I really hope the Seahawks win it, however I'll stick to my earlier prediction. All I know is that they'be better not preempt Grey's Anatomy, if they do win. A tip of the hat to Bob for another brilliant marketing move. It looks like GoDaddy finally had their latest commerical approved. Only took 14 attempts. I guess the NFL got smart and offered to air it standalone during the 2nd quarter. Don't blink or you'll miss it.
If you're like me and get bored after 3 minutes of most ball games, don't forget about the Puppy Bowl. Guaranteed K-9 fun for all ages.
[@227]Well, they did not win. 21-10. Better luck in another 30 years or so.
