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This One's Funny

Never Buy From Next Day Flyers.com

Next Day Flyers.com doesn't check for "escape characters" in their SQL queries, which allows users to execute arbitrary queries. In the programming industry this is called "SQL Injection". If your credit card information is stored on a database on their server, any programmer worth his salt can quite easily get a hold of it. I have two accounts with nextdayflyers.com that I did my best to scrub.

My programmer friend, Jon, called them and pleaded with them to fix it or get him in touch with their webmaster and their response was "...oh, 'that's' impossible, we're behind a 'secure wall'."

What the bucaaaak is a "secure wall"? You mean a firewall? That thing that lets traffic through to execute queries on your database?

Jon tells me this is an old type of attack and there is no reason to not account for it. Since nextdayflyers.com refused to listen to his multiple and polite attempts at warning them, I will take my business elsewhere and I recommend you do the same.



-xkcd.com

Viscous Racism Sparked at Home and Abroad

This is profoundly sad to me.

At Standish, Maine, a sign inside the Oak Hill General Store read: "Osama Obama Shotgun Pool." Customers could sign up to bet $1 on a date when Obama would be killed. "Stabbing, shooting, roadside bombs, they all count," the sign said. At the bottom of the marker board was written "Let's hope someone wins."

Racist graffiti was found in places including New York's Long Island, where two dozen cars were spray-painted; Kilgore, Texas, where the local high school and skate park were defaced; and the Los Angeles area, where swastikas, racial slurs and "Go Back To Africa" were spray painted on sidewalks, houses and cars.

Second- and third-grade students on a school bus in Rexburg, Idaho, chanted "assassinate Obama," a district official said.

—University of Alabama professor Marsha L. Houston said a poster of the Obama family was ripped off her office door. A replacement poster was defaced with a death threat and a racial slur. "It seems the election brought the racist rats out of the woodwork," Houston said.

—Black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island, Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported. The president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas said a rope found hanging from a campus tree was apparently an abandoned swing and not a noose.

—Crosses were burned in yards of Obama supporters in Hardwick, N.J., and Apolacan Township, Pa.

—A black teenager in New York City said he was attacked with a bat on election night by four white men who shouted 'Obama.'

—In the Pittsburgh suburb of Forest Hills, a black man said he found a note with a racial slur on his car windshield, saying "now that you voted for Obama, just watch out for your house."

Emotions are often raw after a hard-fought political campaign, but now those on the losing side have an easy target for their anger.

"The principle is very simple," said BJ Gallagher, a sociologist and co-author of the diversity book "A Peacock in the Land of Penguins." "If I can't hurt the person I'm angry at, then I'll vent my anger on a substitute, i.e., someone of the same race."

"We saw the same thing happen after the 9-11 attacks, as a wave of anti-Muslim violence swept the country. We saw it happen after the Rodney King verdict, when Los Angeles blacks erupted in rage at the injustice perpetrated by 'the white man.'"

- AP via ABC

7 and 8 year olds chanting "assassinate Obama"? I nearly cried this morning. How awful.

In Germany, the Berlin chapter of the American Jewish Committee protested a statement released by Juergen Gansel, a state legislator and member of the extreme-right National Democratic Party. The statement was titled "Africa conquers the White House."

According to AFP news service, Gansel asserted that Obama hopes to destroy America's "white identity" and that multiculturalists in America are trying to destroy other "pure" national identities...

An Austrian journalist said on television that Americans must still be racists to make such a big deal about sending a black couple to the White House. He went on to say that he "wouldn't want the Western world to be directed by a black man." He said, "If you say that is a racist comment, you're right. Without a doubt."

In Poland, a legislator said that the election heralds "the end of the white man's civilization" and that Obama is a "crypto-communist" who would surely prove disastrous for America. He apologized for the assertions.

-NPR

I do not understand.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

-Revelation

Amen.

Treasury Secretary Contradicts Himself

Paulson said the financial industry's situation has worsened since the bill was passed, prompting him to spent nearly $250 billion to buy equity stakes in banks.

"Although the financial system has stabilized, both banks and nonbanks may well need more capital — given their troubled asset holdings, projections for continued high rates of foreclosures and stagnant U.S. and world economic conditions," Paulson said.

The Treasury secretary warned that the nation's financial system "remains fragile" and that "significant illiquid assets" continued to present difficulties.

But "overall, we are in a better position than we were" two months ago, he said.

-NPR (bold and underline mine)

Cool bro.

Is it just me, or is everyone pretty much going around spouting nonsense?

Things like: "The situation has worsened" and "we are in a better situation".

And: We should give "banks and nonbanks" more capital. "Banks and nonbanks", huh? Is that sort of like 'males and nonmales' or 'everyone under the age of 18, and everyone else', or 'everything that is grilled cheese sandwich and everything that isn't', or 'everyone who is on fire and everyone who is not'?

Doesn't he know that no two people are not on fire? You'd think we'd have learned that by now. It's DeluXx, son. It's not that hard.

Or: Giving them money has "worsened" our situation, so they require "more capital".

Huh.

Look, I don't care what your position is quite as much as I care that you have (a preferably coherent) one and state it plainly.

"Give a mouse a cookie...

...he's gonna want $700 billion." -JCW

"The BANKS got a handout? WE WANT ONE!" -Chrysler, Ford & GM

I don't know what we expected...?

In a written statement, the California Democrat [Nancy Pelosi] said the aid was needed "in order to prevent the failure of one or more of the major American automobile manufacturers, which would have a devastating impact on our economy, particularly on the men and women who work in that industry...."

"Congress and the Bush administration must take immediate action," she added. Administration officials have concluded that the bailout bill that passed earlier does not permit loans to the auto industry, but lawmakers are expected to return to the Capitol for a brief postelection session beginning next week.

-CNN

Real mature.

So not only are we increasing the depth of our welfare programs for those without jobs, but now the Democratic party wants to institute the biggest welfare program of all for Big Business!

My only question: Where is the government getting all this money?

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, [give it about $700 billion].

-Ronald Reagan (brackets mine)

Why Idaho Has Zero Pork

Article III, Section 16 of our constitution reads:

UNITY OF SUBJECT AND TITLE.
Every act shall embrace but one subject and matters properly connected therewith, which subject shall be expressed in the title; but if any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be embraced in the title.

Idaho Constitution III - 16

Nice.

[In contrast to the Federal Government (e.g. H.R. 1424; what a mess!)]

Logos For Mac Pre-Order Sale

This is so money.

I am so drooling right now.

7 Reasons Why It's Ok That Obama Won

Why did Obama win?

You could look at it this way:

Candidate John McCain seemed to have it all.

Few in America did not know about his decades of service, his breath-taking heroism as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, his foreign policy expertise and his ability to reach across the Congressional aisle.

Mr McCain's opponent was largely untested, inexperienced and, initially at least, unknown; his race only added to his challenge.

If there is such a thing as a perfect political storm though, John McCain found himself caught in the middle of it. In a leaky boat. With limited fuel...

From the start, his biggest problem was finding the money to compete with Barack Obama's $650m (£403m) campaign juggernaut. By accepting federal funding (which Mr Obama declined) he capped his general election campaign spending at $85m (£53m)...

In the end, he projected an image as a man from America's past, who had been through much and served his country well.

But in a disgruntled nation, deeply disenchanted with Republicanism, he couldn't match the appeal of his younger opponent and his message of change.

Richard Lister - BBC News, Washington

Or you could look at it this way:

the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 7:13-14

Should we be so surprised that there are more free-loaders in America than hard-workers?

In all seriousness though, I am not upset that Obama won.

First of all, he won fairly and democratically. The people have spoken. Awesome.

Second of all, I never found any good reasons to adopt any of the more extreme arguments against Obama, so I am not bracing myself for the apocalypse or anything (at least not any more so than I would be anyway).

Third of all, while I am disinclined to opt for rendering unto the government monies generally, and much less so with respect to things at which I believe the government will do an extremely poor job... it's only money. Honestly, it is only money. Plus, Obama's primary motivation for taking my money is to do things like balance the budget, and help the hungry, poor, orphaned, widowed, and the little children of our society. There could be worse things to take my money for. Personally I think I could do a better finding ways to disperse those funds, and I think other organizations than the government, that are forced to compete to earn my charitable donations, could do a better job of utilizing those funds. But still, Obama is not Hitler (despite the smears). It will be ok. It will be alright.

And honestly, maybe it won't be. Maybe Obama will turn out to be the freakin' Antichrist. But there is no reason to think so as of yet, so why worry? Bush could have turned out to be the AC, too. Besides, I won't be here. Not that we shouldn't oppose those who come in the spirit of the AC; it's just that I might as well not harbor paranoia towards everyone I have a few political disagreements with if there is no other reason to suspect him of being The Antichrist, ya know?

Fourth, while some may think of taxation categorically as theft, I just don't find myself convinced. I have thought about it, and while I understand the arguments, I just don't see it. So I am not super upset that Obama plans to tax the hell out of me. Like I said, it is only money.

Fifth, the President doesn't actually have that much power (though the power of Executive branch has regrettably swollen, and pretty significantly, thanks to the second Bush administration and its corresponding Congress).

Sixth, though the Democatic party has control of Congress, it won't for long. People like to blame the President, and soon enough Obama will field his fair share of blame. Then Congress will turn over and we'll be able to strong-arm anything too terribly extreme Obama might just try to pull (or repeal anything he might have gotten through already).

Seventh, the rest of the world likes us again. So that's cool.

...I could easily go on.

I know FOCA is a big issue, and I don't want to undermine that. But all is not lost. There is a lot we can still do. We can work to change the hearts and minds of individuals at the grass-roots level. We can work toward state legislation that strong-arms any federal law that makes it through (like Idaho is doing with our wolf issue). We can write to the President elect and his party and try to change their minds about abortion. We can applaud maverick pro-life Democrats like my wife. We can support policies or organizations that will work to mitigate the number of abortions by one means or another. We can stand up for whole-life ideals. Et cetera.

Barack Obama is our President (elect) now, and we should pray for him.

PS
I liked McCain's concession speech, and I think it is not enough to react to it with thoughts like "what a good sport", but we should actually heed his words.

I also liked Amy's post.

And I will probably like the post my wife is writing right now.

God bless America.

See you in 4, baby.

Peace out.

Walk Through the Bible

Anecdotal Background Article #1:
When I went to La Mirada CA's Biola, every year around the same time about a quarter of the kids on campus would be buzzing about the "Walk Through the Old Testament" - a one-man act that everyone in Dr. Talley's Old Testament class would have to memorize and perform in unison.

Anecdotal Background Article #2:
When I moved to the (Inland) Northwest, I learned about two boys from Spokane WA's Gonzaga with the last names of "Barats" and "Bereta". They have their own website and MySpace pages, and have been growing in popularity since I first heard about them. Odds are if you're reading this, you have probably seen one or two of their YouTube videos.

Well the following brings Articles 1 & 2 together in a way that does not disappoint.

Bible In A Minute - barats and bereta


Why they're dressed up as Mormon elders, I have no idea.

Fiction...?