] There are several reasons that more money goes to
] Republican than to Democratic states and districts, such
] as where we base our military units. But a simple fact
] is that Gore states receive an average of $0.87 in
] federal spending for every dollar of federal taxes they
] contributed to the treasury, while Bush states receive
] $1.12 for every federal tax dollar they contribute--and
] it's getting worse.

shenanigans people. total shenanigans.

Daily Kos || Political Analysis and other daily rants on the state of the nation.

] Smoking can be twice as deadly for women as it is for
] men, according to a major new study that sheds more light
] on why lung cancer has overtaken breast cancer as the
] leading cancer killer of Canadian women.

maybe a fluke of statistics, but if not, damn.

it also says it's harder for women to quit...

Smoking deadlier among women

] But even as 100,000 fans celebrated the world premiere of
] the final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy,
] Kiwi director Peter Jackson was fighting with the estate
] of Rings author JRR Tolkien.
]
] Tolkien's estate is refusing to allow Jackson - tipped to
] win this year's Best Director Oscar - to create a Rings
] museum in Wellington.
]
] Wrangles with the late author's family have marred the
] $4.7 billion-earning film trilogy, to the immense
] frustration of Jackson and Hollywood studio New Line
] Cinema. He wants to save the thousands of swords, suits
] of armour, costumes and sets used in the films in a
] museum but the estate's custodian Christopher Tolkien,
] who has refused to endorse the movies, won't give
] permission.

there will have to be a way around this... many of the set pieces, swords, and costumes, for this movie are truly art. everything was made by very serious and talented artisans and craftspeople and it really should be shown.

NEWS.com.au | Tolkien party soured (December 2, 2003)

Who knew? Some of us here must live within a mile of Hayes' old house. I had no idea.

Man, what a sad story.

ajc.com | Business | Modem moguls' paths diverge

] Explore one of the newest frontiers in science - DNA
] mapping. From science labs to courtrooms, few discoveries
] are as exciting as the world of DNA. With this deluxe,
] first-of-its-kind kit, you can extract, view and map real
] DNA yourself. Ideal for budding forensic-scientists or
] secret agents, the working lab and tools are just like
] the real thing. Plus, you'll have all the supplies needed
] for six fascinating DNA experiments. Extract DNA from
] vegetables, find out what actually makes ink colors and
] even grow crystal stalagmites!

Its all fun and games until some kid drinks the mutagen.

cool - nano

man that's the coolest, scariest toy ever. my kids will be buying their kids "build your own pet" kits. "Create your own custom companion... a flying cat... a zebra striped terrier... racing gerbils... the only limit is your imagination!"

Discovery DNA Explorer Kit

] Zapping bugs which flourish in office ventilation systems
] with ultraviolet radiation could cut the sickness
] suffered by millions of office workers, suggests a new
] study.

sounds good to me... less bacteria in my work/living spaces is a good thing.

New Scientist

umberto eco is a smart guy... read this.

Al-Ahram Weekly | Books Supplement | Vegetal and mineral memory: The future of books

] A Florida company has announced plans to develop a
] service that would allow consumers to pay for merchandise
] using microchips implanted under their skin.

now, i don't know if it's the mark of the beast, but it raises some serious privacy concerns, yes?

Wired News: When Cash Is Only Skin Deep

] Just weeks after an antitrust suit was filed against the
] RIAA by webcasters, the music labels' lobby group, is,
] along with Hollywood, seeking a permanent exemption from
] similar litigation. The proposal seeks to extend the
] exemption to anything covering mechanical copyright: a
] sweeping extension of the copyright cartel's immunity.

are you fucking kidding me! Holy sweet baby jesus this is some sneaky shit.

The Register

] The Nachi worm compromised Windows-based automated teller
] machines at two financial institutions last August,
] according to ATM-maker Diebold, in the first confirmed
] case of malicious code penetrating cash machines.
]

but surely the insecurities in ATM's were missed because Diebold was putting SO MUCH TIME into making safe and secure voting machines...

grr.

and curse.

Nachi worm infected Diebold ATMs