Are you kidding me?

As a Veteran, I get no real benefits other than a free funeral. But I am proud of having served and respect those who do so as well. It now seems that the personal data of over 20 million vets has been stolen from the Veteran's Administration (VA).

"The computer disk contained the names, Social Security numbers and birth dates of every living veteran from 1975 to the present, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said Monday." CNN.com

Super. Thanks. Fantastic.

If you read the story, you will learn that some meatball brought home a laptop filled with personnel records and then the laptop was stolen from his home in Maryland. You will also learn that the VA kept this quiet for 19 days in hopes of recovering the stolen data before the thief realized what was on the computer.

I am stunned. There are not enough swears that I can rain down upon this man, and VA that could describe how I am feeling. Those who know me, know I can swear with the best of them, but this is beyond comprehension! When will the government see that it is time for a national ID system and to retire the social security number that has been used for all of the wrong reasons since its inception.

You know what? Screw it. Send me back to Iraq. At least then I will be able to shoot back at the bad guys instead of having them lurking, undetected in cyberspace taking out loans and getting credit cards in my name.

And for the REMF who took home this computer... he should have to direct traffic in Baghdad wearing a George Bush costume while holding a caricature of Mohammed drawn by a guy at Six Flags.

Patsy

What exactly crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11? The Department of Defense has released video of the "crash" and there does not appear to be a large, commercial aircraft anywhere present at the time of the explosion. I love a good conspiracy, but this one boggles my mind. I have to do some more research, but why in the world would the government cover up a missile attack on American soil?

In true Orwellian fashion, many believe that security camera video released is missing frames. Watching it, you can see a "jump" in the film that screams "conspiracy!" But the bigger question is how only one camera was able to pick up this event. Isn't the Pentagon supposed to be one of the most secure places in the world? My local 7-11 has at lease 4 CTV cameras that I can see. Are they trying to tell us that and entire side of the PENTAGON is covered by one lone camera that is in a parking lot? Get Oliver Stone on the line.

There is a cool clip that someone made that raises some pretty good points about the events at the Pentagon on 9/11. You can see their Flash movie here:

www.freedomunderground.org/memoryhole/pentagon.php

I will be revisiting this subject at a later date when I get some more info. Unless of course, I am arrested at a movie theater in Dallas and subsequently shot in the Police Department's parking garage by a small-time crook and nightclub owner with connections to the Mafia while surrounded by police.

Video Killed the...Buffering 10%

The Internet is video crazy these days. The problem is that it takes way too long to watch anything. YouTube is getting like a zillion hits a day (that's zillion, with a "z"), but if it takes me 20 minutes to watch a clip of "The Family Guy" singing "Shipoopi" I am going to have to give up.

I have a T1 here at work and DSL at home and yet even the smallest of videos creates a log jam. I have not even tried checking out ABC or CBS's new video content. It takes 15 minutes to watch a 3 minute SNL skit online, can you imagine trying watch an hour long episode of CSI, with commercials? Forget it. I would rather work. Or do taxes. Or do taxes in the car on the way to the dentist. Basically the point is, it's not fun.

As a coworker said to me the other day, "I hate buffering." Buffering is the lamest thing on the web. What the hell is it doing? Why is it taking so long to get to 100%. One hundred percent of what? 100% pain in the butt.

Everyone wants to stream the videos to you. God forbid they should just zip it up so you can download it. No way. That is piracy and arrrrrr matey, piracy is illegal don't cha know? And if you do it, they will tie your scurvy-dog neck up the yard arm.

The internet needs to be as easy as cable TV. Plug a device into the wall and you get your content. Immediately. No settings, no IP addresses and no buffering!! Just 24 hours of mind numbing entertainment. Mmmmm, TV.

The Walking Dude

I am reading Stephen King's "Cell" about civilization being wiped out by some kind of subliminal message sent via cell phones. Is it me or is King simply writing the same book over and over again? People stuck in New England, bad dreams that become real, lame references to the Red Sox and pop culture. Yawn. This story actually reminds me of a great book called "Virus" that is pretty much the comedic version of "Cell."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0972372415/qid=1147961618/sr=1-13/ref=sr_1_13/104-1159834-0164737?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

If you are not watching LOST, you are wrong. Probably the best show on TV these days. Unless you like this season of the Soprano's, AKA "Queer as Mob Folk." Pauly Walnuts is still the major draw and should have a spinoff when The Sopranos ends. I am thinking sitcom, with a laugh track and some zany neighbors. It could be a huge hit. Pauly gets in a jam at the supermarket and whacks the deli guy. Gold.

It has been raining for 40 days and nights. It sucks.